Chair calls on Mike Ashley to cut ties with Transline

The Business Committee has also written to Transline stating the company lacked credibility in their evidence to the Sports Direct inquiry and that they had failed to be candid over their dealings with the Gangmaster's Licensing Authority.

• Iain Wright to Mike Ashley 13-09-2016
• Iain Wright to Transline Group 9-09-2016
• Transline Group to Iain Wright, 5-08-2016
• Inquiry: Working practices at Sports Direct

Concerns about working conditions

Workers at Sports Direct warehouse in Shirebrook are employed through two agencies, The Best Connection and Transline Group. The Committee's report into employment practices at Sports Direct, published in July, raised concerns about the working conditions for agency workers at Shirebrook and of the legality and fairness of voluntary schemes provided by both these agencies, such as pre-paid debit cards and insurance services. It was reported last week that Transline are being investigated by the representative body, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.

Chair's comments

Chair of the BIS Committee, Iain Wright MP, said:

"We on the Committee are very keen to see improvements to working practices at Sports Direct. Mike Ashley says he is committed to making conditions better for staff at Shirebrook. If he means what he says, he could start by cutting his ties with Transline Group who have not been candid or credible in their evidence to the Business Committee and, as we heard in our evidence sessions, have deducted money from low-paid workers without proper explanation and justification. I would expect other companies using Transline Group will want to think seriously about using a company that treats their workers and conducts its business in this way.

Neither Mike Ashley nor the RPC report into working practices this week have explained why so many people at Shirebrook are employed through agencies, and why they are employed on short-term contracts, other than to reduce costs and avoid legal responsibility for their poor working conditions. If Sports Direct are going to become the Selfridges or John-Lewis style retailer which Mike Ashley aspires them to be, then he needs to fix these poor contractual terms and make a real improvement to warehouse staff working conditions."

The BIS Committee has called on Transline to respond urgently to the questions. The correspondence states that if Transline fail to provide credible responses the Committee will be left with little choice but to seriously consider reporting to the House of Commons that the company's directors are not fit and proper to run the company.  

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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