‘Shocking’ undercover footage reveals conditions at JD Sports warehouse at Kingsway

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

JD Sports, Michael Faraday Avenue, Kingsway Business Park

Channel 4 News has broadcast a documentary about ‘shocking’ conditions at the JD Sports warehouse at Kingsway Business Park. The documentary consisted of footage that was secretly filmed inside the warehouse by undercover reporters.

Channel 4 said it found many new staff were taken on by the Assist Recruitment agency with ‘zero hours contracts’, with no guarantee of work.

The investigation also found staff were ‘routinely threatened by supervisors’, the channel claimed, with footage showing a team leader ‘bragging’ of sacking employees for sitting down.

The 24-hour distribution centre supplies all JD Sports stores across the UK and worldwide, employing around 1,500 workers. The chain was founded in 1981 with one North West store, with more than 900 stores nationwide today. The JD Sports Fashion Plc group also owns several sports fashion and outdoor brands including Blacks, Millets and Scotts.

Channel 4 also claims Ian Wright MP, chairman of the business, energy and industrial strategy select committee, said he would call for JD Sports to appear before the committee.

In light of this investigation, Rochdale Online can also reveal that an anonymous letter was received yesterday outlining treatment of agency and JD employees by management at the warehouse.

The letter says: “In the past, the local news has written about the criticism the business has received.

“I feel I should share how workers are treated at the JD Sports warehouse at Kingsway.

“A certain number of management staff are not very friendly at all towards workers as they speak in a very disrespectful manner. Discrimination and favouritism take place daily behind the walls. Health and safety issues in some departments are ignored by management.

“Workers are not allowed a union because the company breaches its own code of conduct.

“If agency workers feel like they are treated unfairly by a manager, supervisor or team leader, they will be sacked by the agency if they complain. If a JD employee complains to Human Resources, management will find small reasons to build up a file so they can easily evict employees.

“The workers have no choice; people don’t speak up because of their lack of job security and circumstances.”

One former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, also contacted Rochdale Online about her experience with the warehouse.

She said: “My husband was there for just under two years before he went on sick. He had sick notes for eight weeks. He went back after only six weeks and was sacked the same day. He appealed it and he was told he wasn’t able to do his work.

“I was sacked after my son broke his arm and needed an operation. I had to leave because he was on holiday and needed me to sign the paper for him. I was called the day after and told my work was not up to standard and they sacked me over the phone, despite the agency being informed about everything.

“They don’t know the word respect or loyalty. How can this company get away with this? They need a big wake-up call.”

Rochdale Online reported on criticism of JD Sports and Assist Recruitment by employees as long ago as 2013:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/81564/jd-sports-criticised-by-former-employees

And again in 2014:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/84632/jd-sports-warehouse-and-assist-recruitment-criticised-again-by-former-workers

Following those reports, JD Sports said it had changed its recruitment policy:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/92674/jd-sports-change-recruitment-policy

JD Sports and Assist Recruitment provided a joint statement to Rochdale Online in response to the claims by Channel 4: “A number of Channel 4’s key claims are simply not true. Most importantly, we categorically do not operate a ‘strike’ system and our workers cannot get fired ‘on the spot’; We have a fully outlined disciplinary procedure and appeal process based on the ACAS code of practice. Furthermore, our time and attendance system is specifically designed to ensure that all workers from both companies are paid for the time it takes to go through security on leaving the site; and we pay all employees in full who are up to 15 minutes late on arrival. It is very disappointing that Channel 4 have not taken account of our detailed response, including factual evidence, which clearly stated this.”

The Channel 4 investigation was broadcast at 7pm on Wednesday 14 December.