Jump to content

Sports Direct 90% of staff on 0 hour contracts


Recommended Posts

No holiday pay and no guarantee of how many hours they will get. This is getting ridiculous now how are people supposed to plan for the future when they have no idea how many hours they will get.

 

I accept that many are students and retail is notorious for exploiting workers but to have nearly all staff with no guarantee of hours from week to week is taking the mickey.

 

Certainly wont be buying anything from them in future.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/28/sports-direct-staff-zero-hour-contracts?guni=Article:in%20body%20link

 

No one is forced to work for them , its personal choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did anybody see Channel 4 news this evening. It featured a report on the Amazon warehouse in the east Midlands.

Not only do they operate zero hour contracts; but their employment practices are Dickensian (and illegal). It's certainly an eye opener, watch it here:

http://www.channel4.com/news/anger-at-amazon-working-conditions

 

I've worked loads of zero hour contracts with agencies in between permanent jobs, in fact some led to permanent jobs; most were big orders with companies that permanent staff couldn't cover. Some mind numbingly boring jobs too. I just got on with it.

 

I asked and got an answer. I remember one on Attercliffe in a factory, and they said almost certainly 2 weeks, but we hope to get a few more orders and it might be a month. Simple.

 

-

 

The programme only interviewed a few people who were most likely not taken on because they were crap at their jobs. Or too lazy.

 

As I always say in here - If you don't like, don't buy. If no one buys from Amazon they won't exist, let alone take on people with any kind of contracts.

 

The people in the town [on the programme] say that the community lost their mine and the jobs with it, and thought this [warehouse] would be a good thing. And yet no one wants to work for them [so they say] so they are recruiting from further away. Benefits too good perhaps? Or perhaps we should open a new pit and see if they like their toilet breaks half a mile into the earth, and come back up with emphysema for good measure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That doesn't explain why the vast majority of the staff need to be on zero hours contracts. If anything you've described exactly why not - footfall and staff demand can be pretty accurately predicted.

 

I know this - I worked on demand planning systems for a major retailer.

I don't think you really understand the concept of zero hour contracts do you? Rarely are they zero hour or even 3 or 4 hours it just means the employer has the flexibility in quiet times or seasons but best of all it's a great way to performance manage out lazy staff so the ones that do the work get the hours the ones that slack and don't make me any money leave anyway as they don't get the hours !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've worked loads of zero hour contracts with agencies in between permanent jobs, in fact some led to permanent jobs; most were big orders with companies that permanent staff couldn't cover. Some mind numbingly boring jobs too. I just got on with it.

 

I asked and got an answer. I remember one on Attercliffe in a factory, and they said almost certainly 2 weeks, but we hope to get a few more orders and it might be a month. Simple.

 

-

 

The programme only interviewed a few people who were most likely not taken on because they were crap at their jobs. Or too lazy.

 

As I always say in here - If you don't like, don't buy. If no one buys from Amazon they won't exist, let alone take on people with any kind of contracts.

 

The people in the town [on the programme] say that the community lost their mine and the jobs with it, and thought this [warehouse] would be a good thing. And yet no one wants to work for them [so they say] so they are recruiting from further away. Benefits too good perhaps? Or perhaps we should open a new pit and see if they like their toilet breaks half a mile into the earth, and come back up with emphysema for good measure.

 

But surely this is like saying 'I don't mind if I am being exploited by Amazon'?

 

And if we bear in mind that Amazon engages in other negative practices such as aggressive tax avoidance as a matter of routine, and use their market power to dictate terms to their suppliers, and that Amazon is moving slowly towards monopoly status, could it become necessary that we as a society decide that companies that operate in such a manner should be forced by legislative means to behave in a more responsible manner?

 

I am not confident that consumer boycots will ever be powerful enough to hold such monoliths to account.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If a person chooses to keep taking the benefits rather than accept a zero hour contract, does that mean that they are a shirker and a scrounger?

 

Yes that is exactly right.

 

---------- Post added 02-08-2013 at 10:58 ----------

 

That's not strictly true is it?

 

People are forced by benefits legislation to take jobs that are offered.

 

Quite right too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.