"'It's more like a prison sentence'... JD Sports urged to rethink Rochdale warehouse shifts after hundreds of complaints", 18 October 2019

JD Sports has been urged to rethink its decision to cut shift workers’ rest breaks after life at its Rochdale warehouse was likened to ‘a prison sentence’. The sportswear giant has reduced the number of breaks during a typical 12-hour night shift from three to two – although the overall rest time allowed has not changed.

More than 600 workers have lodged a grievance over the change – and  Rochdale council has now backed a motion calling on the firm to open talks with the Usdaw union with a view to ‘immediately reversing’ its decision.

It also wants the company...to agree to Usdaw’s long-standing request for the company to enter into a trade union recognition agreement.

 ...‘Disappointed’ JD Sports bosses said the matter of union recognition was not one that involved the council – but confirmed all shift patterns were to be reviewed...

...“...we will take into account USDAW’s recommendation that 12-hour shift patterns are tiring...and explore the potential of reducing full-time 12 hour shifts down to eight hours, carried out in five shifts over the course of a seven day week, with breaks naturally aligned to this change...”...