Unite members protest against Sports Direct's illegal sackings, photo by Elaine Evans

Unite members protest against Sports Direct’s illegal sackings, photo by Elaine Evans   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Elaine Evans

As a Sports Direct employee you not only slave in workhouse conditions, you can also be illegally sacked with 15 minutes notice.

Unite and activists from other trade unions held a protest in Chesterfield on 14 October against another abuse of workers’ rights by Sports Direct.

Legal representatives of Sports Direct chief executive David Forsey submitted a plea of not guilty to criminal charges of making staff redundant from its USC (subsidiary company) warehouse in Scotland without the 30 day notice and consultation period required by employment law. As an employer of over 20 workers the secretary of state should also have had notification 30 days before any job losses.

The case has been adjourned until a three day hearing on 14 March next year.

Major shareholder billionaire Mike Ashley claims to provide working conditions in compliance with applicable employment and health and safety legislation. 90% of workers are on zero-hour contracts and receive very low pay.