The EU protects workers rights

Sports direct owner Mike Ashley has today taken a grilling over his business practices and working conditions by MP's

"Sports Direct's founder Mike Ashley has admitted workers at its Derbyshire warehouse were paid below the minimum wage and its policy of fining staff for being late was unacceptable"

"a Guardian report last year that workers at the sportswear chain's warehouse had been subjected to rigorous searches and surveillance, leading to staff receiving under the minimum wage."

"And a BBC investigation found ambulances were called out to Sports Direct's complex at Shirebrook, in Derbyshire, 76 times in two years."

"People are scared because they are working under a system where they know they could lose their employment at any moment,"

"Union officials said the Derbyshire distribution centre operated a "strike system" for misdemeanours where staff were given "a strike" for things such as spending too long in the toilet, excessive chatting or taking a day off sick.Once an employee had six strikes they were automatically dismissed."

(Guess what type of big businesses can do the above..? Ones that operate in the EU and have an unlimited supply of dispensable labour :rolleyes:

)

"In one case, he said an employee had given birth in a toilet at the warehouse, due to fear of losing her job if she called in sick.He said workers had likened the conditions to a "gulag", or "labour camp" and described the conditions as "19th century working practices"."There were 5 births and miscarriages in the warehouse toilets, the latest in November 2015"

God bless the EU for its job protection and rights it enshrines to its subjects Vote REMAIN to protect your jobs and suppressed wages and enjoy being highly dispenable to your employees thanks to a conveyor belt of unlimited migration to replace you quicker than you can wipe your tears away or remember which cubicle you left your just new born baby in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36465404

Oh and lastly..

"Campaigner Troy Kissane feels the Sports Direct warehouse, which employs a large number of Eastern European employees in the town, has played a part in the difficulties now faced by Shirebrook." :colonhash:

http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/sports-direct-plays-a-part-in-eastern-european-racial-tensions-1-7885290

(edited 7 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Jebedee

If the EU protects those things then why did they happen in the first place?

Reply 2

joey11223

Original post by Jebedee

If the EU protects those things then why did they happen in the first place?

he's being sarcastic if you read his comments lol.

Yeah seems a bit amusing tbh, the EU is basically a source of semi-slave labour as many seem so unaware of their own rights in this country (since they're used to less) they get heavily exploited.

Though the only issue of course is, if we leave and the migrant/seasonal work diminishes...what do we do about things like needing thousands of fruit/veg pickers in the season? Force JSA beneficiaries to do it? My worry there would be their work ethic would be lower for sure, for an Eastern European with no skills a fiver an hour is fantastic despite being illegal, no Brit is busting their arse in the heat for that.

Reply 3

Drewski

Original post by joey11223

no Brit is busting their arse in the heat for that.

What heat?! We have maybe 2 weeks of weather that could be described as hot a year.

Reply 4

ODES_PDES

That is not good enough reason to stay in I am afraid

Reply 5

joey11223

Original post by Drewski

What heat?! We have maybe 2 weeks of weather that could be described as hot a year.

Mate I pulled the shorts out today lol. Also decided to run in a hoody on Saturday....almost fainted after a while.

Okay fine, the seasonal awkward to travel to minimum wage labour then, there's much easier things to do for the money.

Reply 6

drogon

lose the sarcasm if you want to make an intelligent point

Reply 7

generallee

Yeah the EU protects workers rights. ESPECIALLY the right to work.

Some "highlights" from the Eurostat unemployment figures, check them out for yourself below if you don't believe me

Percentage of under 25's unemployed by country:

Spain 53.2
Greece 52.4
Croatia 45.5
Italy 42.7
Portugal 34.7
France 24.1

European Average 22.2

(The US 13.4 Japan 6.3)

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File :u:

nemployment_rates_by_age_and_gender.PNG

Reply 8

nexttimeigetvpn

lol you seriously need to get laid

Reply 9

username1204031

Original post by generallee

nemployment_rates_by_age_and_gender.PNG

What point are you trying to make? None of those countries are the UK. UK unemployment has been going down steadily for years.

Reply 10

MagicNMedicine

Hopefully if we leave then a sovereign UK government led by Boris, Gove and IDS will put proper workers protections in place so these kind of scandals can never take place again.

Reply 11

generallee

Original post by JordanL_

What point are you trying to make? None of those countries are the UK. UK unemployment has been going down steadily for years.

That the Eurozone, which is the whole point of the EU, and the policy which they will seek to protect above any other is a total failure.

That we were told by the very same economists now telling us to stay to go into that Eurozone. They were wrong then and are wrong now.

That the Eurozone crisis is far from finished, and if we stay in the EU we will have to pick up the tab (because of treaty obligations) just like we did last time they needed a bailout.

That the reason our immigration from the EU is unsustainable is because of its appalling level of unemployment and this will continue indefinitely.

That the whole idea of the EU protecting worker's rights is a joke because half the young in some countries don't even have a job.

That the EU is a total economic failure compared to the rest of the world and we need to escape from over dependence on its orbit.

That is we don't think we can overcome the morons who preside over this kind of economic failure in striking a trade deal this country has come to a pretty pass.

Those kind of points.

Reply 12

Betelgeuse-

Awfully muted response given the emphasis remain voters place on the belief that the EU improves workers protections and rights when there is numerous evidence including the above that it is to the contrary...and the EU unlimited labour supply actually damages workers terribly

Reply 13

Betelgeuse-

Thank God the EU protects workers rights and jobs

I suspect BHS Workers will have different view to big business Team Remain #Safer In? :bath:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36476860

Reply 14

Wōden

Original post by joey11223

Though the only issue of course is, if we leave and the migrant/seasonal work diminishes...what do we do about things like needing thousands of fruit/veg pickers in the season? Force JSA beneficiaries to do it? My worry there would be their work ethic would be lower for sure, for an Eastern European with no skills a fiver an hour is fantastic despite being illegal, no Brit is busting their arse in the heat for that.

The farm owners will just have to stop being such stingy bastards and pay the minimum wage, like the law says. There are millions of British people who are currently willing to flip burgers or clean floors or stack shelves for minimum wage, why do you think they wouldn't be willing to pick fruit for minimum wage? I'd much rather be outdoors in the fresh air all day, picking fruit, than working in a McDonalds.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 15

jgjog3

Original post by Jebedee

If the EU protects those things then why did they happen in the first place?

It would happen more under less regulation which will happen if we leave the EU.

Reply 16

jgjog3

Original post by generallee

nemployment_rates_by_age_and_gender.PNG

In the US there is a statistical rise of people who work but don't earn a living wage. In fact they work multiple jobs but still live in poverty, the employers get all the benefit whereas the employees suffer. They have a rise in childhood poverty where kids only get to eat at school if the receive welfare and starve during the weekend!
Japan is much smaller than the US, although unemployment rate is only 3.2% from the latest stats in Japan that is still 63960 out of a population of just 127300000.
If you work any job in France you can make a living, it is not the same case for America.

Reply 17

hovado

"The fortune of Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley soared by an estimated £100million overnight after the Tories' shock election win."

Reply 18

InnerTemple

Original post by Betelgeuse-

The EU does protect worker's rights. The protections in place are in black and white. There is no denying that the EU has led the way and improved the rights of workers in the UK ad other EU member states.

Enforcement is another thing - and it largely comes down to the individual states. But, if it wasn't for the employee rights we have (many of which have come from the EU) you'd find that:

a) the Shop Direct culture would be much more widespread
b) you wouldn't have any recourse to put things right. You certainly wouldn't have bosses hauled before Parliament for a grilling.

Your whole suggestion is a nonsense. It's the same as saying that the law offers no protection against any crime... so long as you can find a few instances of those crimes occuring.

Reply 19

Betelgeuse-

Original post by InnerTemple

All the evidence to the contrary. There would not be so much exploitation without such a surplus in labour. You keep your workers happy if you would find it hard to replace them. Very very basic business practice.

Given the level of exploitation can only happen with the surplus of labour the EU provides us, workers would be far more secure and better protected with our own UK laws and being valued by employees

Your last point would be a good one in a vacuum but when the EU labour train (Is so heavily distorted to the rich countries) it directly causes the exploitation, it brings me back to my original point. The EU is bad for workers