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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/17250
Posted on 16 August 2013 at 16:29 GMT
Zero-hours protest at Sports Direct HQ
Becci Heagney, East Midlands Youth Fight for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs held a protest in Shirebrook, a village in North Derbyshire, which is home to Sports Direct's headquarters and distribution centre.
We were making a stand against the company's use of zero hour contracts - which 90% of their staff are estimated to be on - and making a call to workers to get organised and fight for decent contracts.
Our protest got a lot of attention and support from passers-by and we spoke to current and ex-workers of Sports Direct.
They told us about working in a factory with a bullying management, walking miles with heavy cages to push, completely inadequate health and safety including locked fire escapes, air conditioning switched off - all for minimum wage.
After finishing their shift it can take another hour before they can leave while they queue to be physically searched.
Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct, is seen regularly in Shirebrook, sitting in the market place drinking coffee and eating a bacon cob with the locals.
However, someone who is worth £2.3 billion has nothing in common with any residents there. And what's more, he's only made that money through super exploitation of the people working for him.
As we said at the protest: every pound he doesn't pay his workers, he knows is another pound in his pocket.
Workers are angry, but there is a huge amount of fear about what will happen to them if they take action.
Youth Fight for Jobs is working with the Unite trade union and others to build a campaign that can unite all workers to stop the race to the bottom by fighting for decent jobs, pay, hours and working conditions.
- See more protest reports at youthfightforjobs.com
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
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