Channel 4 conducted an undercover investigation into a JD Sports’ warehouse in Rochdale, revealing conditions “twice as bad as Sports Direct.”
In the latest working conditions scandal to hit a major retailer, the second this week, an undercover investigation set to be shown tonight a 7pm on Channel 4 News revealed conditions “worse than prison”.
The expose shows workers under strict surveillance, coming under a three strike rule before losing their jobs, job insecurity and intimidation.
Ian Wright, who led the charge against Sports Direct has responded to the reports saying he was “disgusted” by the findings, and has called on the country‘s largest sportswear retailer to explain themselves in front of MPs.
The warehouse in Rochdale currently employs 1500 staff and operates 24 hours a day every day of the week.
New workers are employed through Assist Recruitment, which has been working with JD Sports for 12 years. The zero hours contracts pay minimum wage and allow the agency to terminate employment instantly without notice.
One supervisor at the location boasted to the undercover reporter of sacking someone for sitting down during a shift.
READ MORE: Amazon under attack from Scottish MSPs
JD Sports told Channel 4 News: “Our people are never ‘sacked on the spot‘. In any cases of serious misconduct, thorough investigations take place.
“We take the overall treatment and wellbeing of our employees very seriously and we are extremely disappointed to be faced with allegations of line managers behaving in an offensive and bullying manner.”
Similar to the now infamous practices at Sport‘s Direct, workers must undergo rigorous security checks which they are told to arrive early to work for, they are however not paid for this time. This means in some cases they are paid less than minimum wage.
Ian Wright commented: “I would like to see JD Sports in front of us. But what really worries me if i‘m honest, this is getting to be a longer and longer list.
“The number of company bosses that have to explain their actions and explain their working practices, and explain why they use agencies that exploit, that abuse, is really getting longer. And we really have to deal with that.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
