Worker at Sports Direct’s Shirebrook depot claims Mike Ashley ‘putting us all at risk’ amid coronavirus crisis

Unite said it was aware of a ‘catalogue of examples where the company has ignored the Government’s guidelines for workplaces during the national emergency’.

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The Derbyshire Times and Mansfield Chad have been contacted by a number of worried workers at Sports Direct’s Shirebrook warehouse – with one saying owner Mike Ashley is ‘putting us all at risk'.

Sports Direct has not yet responded to requests for a comment.

The firm previously said in a statement: “We totally refute the claims being made.

“Since the outbreak of the coronavirus the management team at Shirebrook have introduced a series of measures designed to protect our entire workforce and actively enforced them.”

There are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 workers at the Shirebrook depot, a key component in Mike Ashley’s retail empire.

In her letter, Unite regional officer Cheryl Pidgeon said: “We have reports of workers being threatened with no jobs if they self-isolate when they have underlying health concerns.

“We have reports of people being told not to bother about just having two people in the car when they drive to work – but to come in ‘in fives’.

“We have photographic evidence of lack of products available for workers to wash as per Government guidelines.

“We have reports of workers not staying two metres apart and photographic evidence of this

“People are today still using scanners with their fingers and being searched closely.

“The products that many people are working on are not critical to the nation at this moment in time – we have photographic evidence of this also.

“There are many, many scared workers at the warehouse.

“These are decent human beings who have served Sports Direct loyally in difficult conditions on low wages and many are on non-permanent contracts.

“They are not fodder to make mass profit at the expense of their own health and safety, and that of their family.

“The work at the warehouse is not critical as per Government guidelines.

“Many of the community are ex-miners with severe chest health problems – by not allowing workers to go home and stay safe you are putting local communities at risk.

“For the sake of the employees, the local community and the business reputation please allow workers to go home, stay safe and pay them their usual wages without loss of money.

“There is nothing more important than the health and safety of all workers at the warehouse – ask Mike Ashley, for once, to do the right thing by the workers – put them and not profit first.”

Paresh Patel, Unite regional secretary for the East Midlands, added: “When the history of the coronavirus comes to be written, Mike Ashley’s already besmirched reputation will be in shreds, unless he does the right thing and send his Shirebrook workers home on full pay for the duration of the coronavirus emergency.

“Mike Ashley has become fabulously rich on the backs of low-paid workers – now is the time that he should rise above the ruthless pursuit of profit that has pockmarked his controversial career.

“The nation is watching.”

A worker who contacted us said: “Signs have been put up around the factory stating people need to try and keep a safe distance and wash and sanitise their hands after touching surfaces but this is being ignored many hundreds of the workers.

“I do not want to come to work and be put at risk because some people cannot be bothered to take precautions to stop the spread.

“It is not fair at all.

“We shouldn’t have to come to work in a busy factory like this while the country is on lockdown.

“A sporting and fashion retailer is not a ‘vital’ or ‘essential’ business.

“Therefore, why has Mike Ashley continued to keep it open with hundreds of workers in the day, evening and night?

“He is putting us all at risk.

“I want to make people aware of what’s going on and have the owner of the chain close the factories for the safety of its workers.”

On Tuesday, Sports Direct performed a u-turn on keeping its stores open during the coronavirus lockdown.

After the Government ordered all UK shops selling non-essential goods to close, Sports Direct initially said it would remain open as it was ‘uniquely well placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible’.

But after widespread criticism, it subsequently said it would not open ‘until we are given the go-ahead by the Government’.

The company also came under fire for bringing in online price rises – some as much as 50 per cent – on its sports equipment.

However, the high street chain played down the increases on Tuesday, insisting that the affected products had previously been heavily discounted and were still being sold for less than their recommended retail price.

On Friday, Mike Ashley apologised over his attempts to keep the stores open during the current crisis.

MORE: Sports Direct boss apologises over attempts to keep stores open during coronavirus crisis