JJB Bad Sports

GMB negotiators today met with JJB Sports Chief Executive, Tom Knight to seek the immediate reinstatement of Shop Steward Chris Riley who was summarily dismissed on Tuesday after the union settled a dispute with JJB Sports.

Graham Coxon, GMB Organiser who negotiated the deal in the absence of Sandra Blight, who was injured on the picket line during the strikes, said today "I negotiated the standard no victimisation clause with Mr Knight as part of the final settlement to this dispute. This is the standard contribution to getting back to stable industrial relations after a dispute. This clause called for all grievances from all parties relating to the dispute to be withdrawn. This has been signed by Mr Knight on 15th November. How Mr Whelan [the manager who ordered the sacking], who was not at the talks, can claim that no such agreement exists is unbelievable. This is a clear indication of why industrial relations at JJB Sports are so bad. We clearly have two jockeys on the horse."

Sandra Blight, GMB Organiser who is responsible for GMB members at JJB Sports said, "GMB members expect Tom Knight to re-instate Chris Riley today in line with the no victimisation agreement he signed. GMB members at JJB Sports are very angry at this latest turn of events .This is the second time in these talks that Mr Whelan has scuppered negotiations between Mr Knight and the GMB. GMB members will not stand idly by and allow multi millionaire Mr Whelan to victimise their Shop Steward Chris Riley. The GMB will immediately restart the nationwide campaign, including strike action at Wigan unless JJB Sports and Mr Knight adhere to the agreement they signed with GMB."

The deal agreed by GMB members on November 20th is to be backdated to 1st August 2006. It raises the basic rate for all workers in the depot to £6 per hour from either £5.20 or £5.50. It also provides for all workers to have access to bonus payments of between 15p per hour and 90p per hour depending on how busy the depot is and the pace of work in the depot.

The GMB have also asked that Employment Agencies Standards (EAS) Inspectorate proceed with criminal charges in the magistrates court against 3 local Wigan agencies. The agencies who supplied illegal scab labour to JJB Sports during the dispute were Heads Recruitment, Bond Personnel and Light Year Recruitment Limited.

Throughout the dispute GMB has supplied information to the Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate regarding agency labour being used by JJB Sports during strike days and during the rest of the week to deal with the backlog as a result of the strikes. The agencies were made aware by the GMB of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003 which makes it a criminal offence for agencies to supply labour to companies during a trade dispute.

I spoke to Sandra Blight who described the sacking as a "vindictive and vile act" that was not just "an attack on the GMB, and the GMB reps but an attack on trade unions as a whole."

There is a meeting tommorrow with the GMB General Secretary. Hopefully the outcome of this will give those of us who wish to express our support something concrete to do to react to this attack - in the mean time you can email messages of support to Chris Riley at this address.

Update: Tom Knight, Chief Exec of JJB Sports has refused to implement the agreement he himself signed two weeks ago and reinstate Chris Riley. Sandra Blight said "Unless people honour the signed agreement made in good faith, there is no basis for stable industrial relations.Today we have given notice of a new strike ballot at JJB Sport. The Wigan depot will stop again unless Chris Reilly is re-instated.

"GMB North West will be making an appeal to the entire Labour movement for practical and financial support for those low paid workers who are facing the prospect of a second loss of wages to defend their rights. We will be asking for financial support for the strike fund and for demonstrations at JJB Sports shops and outside football grounds, where Wigan FC plays."