‘Slave’ workers at UK Boohoo warehouse in Burnley who walk 7.8 MILES per shift

Boohoo was hit by a new worker scandal today, with allegations that staff at the fast-fashion giant’s Lancashire warehouse were forced to work in temperatures of up to 32°C during 12-hour shifts where they are expected to store 130 items a day. collecting hours.

The British company – known for its £4 shirts and dresses and a turnover of almost £2bn a year – has been trying to promote its ethical credentials two years after it was revealed that workers at some of its suppliers in Leicester were being paid as only € 3.50 per hour.

But an undercover reporter has now made a series of disturbing claims about conditions at its Burnley warehouse, with staff calling themselves ‘slaves’ complaining of racism, sexual harassment and debilitating targeting.

Boohoo said the figures showed pickers walked an average of 7.8 miles per shift in August The times said the reporter noted that he went significantly further.

The harsh conditions led to workers collapsing in the aisles, with an ambulance arriving on the scene once a month on average.

Three-quarters of the 59 calls in the past five years resulted in the patient being taken to hospital, with four people becoming unconscious, fainting or feeling about to pass out in the past financial year alone.

Boohoo said it “took every claim very seriously” but “does not believe the image painted is reflective of the working environment” at the warehouse.

The undercover reporter spent a month working as a picker in the Burnley warehouse in August and September.

Employees are paid £11 an hour for shifts of up to 12 hours and the role involves picking up items from many miles of racks towards a tracking device strapped to the employee’s wrist.

After a training period, staff are expected to hit a target of 130 items per hour — more than two per minute — even though some may be several aisles away.

Failure may result in disciplinary action from a manager and may eventually lead to termination.

After a warm day earlier this year, a temperature of 32°C was measured one night in the warehouse, while the outside temperature was around 19°C.

While there is no legal maximum limit on workplace temperature, the GMB union is campaigning for it to be set at 25C, with a former Boohoo staff member who worked in the warehouse control room saying the heat made work ‘unbearable’ made.

In a conversation reported by The Times, a manager briefing night shift workers said, “I’m standing here and I’m not moving and I’m already dripping with sweat.”

He was challenged by an employee who said, ‘Then give us extra breaks’.

“No, no extra breaks,” the manager said. “I get it, it’s hot. But we still have to perform.’

Some staff complained about timed toilet breaks. Boohoo said it was standard practice for employers to monitor breaks, but denied the timing of toilet visits.

Graffiti applied by a worker on the warehouse warehouse floor described it as a “prison,” while another aisle had “slaves” scribbled on the shelves.

The reporter was told he was allowed one or two toilet breaks during a 12-hour shift.

The Burnley warehouse has also been hit by claims of racism, with a Pakistani man who had worked at the warehouse for 18 months telling the undercover reporter that he had seen a white marshal directing Pakistani workers into the hottest parts of the warehouse, while white Bulgarians were kept in the cooler area.

Another disturbing allegation involves a female member of staff who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a colleague in a corner of the warehouse.

After the attack, she told her floor manager, but he did not inform the people further down the hierarchy, it is alleged. She then told another manager who allegedly accused her of lying.

Later, the perpetrator is said to have admitted what happened when he was later questioned and fired. Boohoo said it handled the incident under its “robust” procedures.

In March last year, Boohoo shut down more than 400 suppliers after allegations that they paid workers less than minimum wage.

The company saw more than £1bn wiped from its share value in two days after a 2020 article exposed conditions in Leicester garment factories.

Other retailers such as Next and Asos have removed Boohoo clothing from their websites and the company hired top lawyer Alison Levitt KC to investigate the allegations

In September 2020, Ms Levitt discovered there were “serious problems” in the company’s supply chain.

The company made further negative headlines in 2020 when 25 people became infected with Covid at its Sheffield warehouse amid claims that made it a ‘breeding ground’ for the disease.

A video posted to social media on March 26 showed workers standing close together in hi-vis jackets at the warehouse, apparently in violation of social distancing rules.

Justin Madders, Labour’s shadow minister for labor rights and protection, today described the latest allegations regarding his Burnley warehouse as ‘shocking’.

“The government has repeatedly failed to implement their promised employment bill to address conditions in warehouses run like Victorian workhouses,” he said.

But Boohoo hit back, saying in a statement: ‘Boohoo takes every claim very seriously, but does not believe the picture depicted is reflective of the working environment at our Burnley warehouse.

“In recent years we have invited and subsequently hosted representatives from outside organisations, authorities and people such as the GLAA, local MPs, the deputy leader of the local council and Burnley College, and we remain committed to transparency and engagement.

“Making sure our people feel safe and comfortable in their workplace is our top priority. That’s why more and more of our colleagues are choosing to stay here longer, with our turnover continuing to fall year after year.

We offer generous wages, well above the national living wage, with additional benefits including subsidized private health care. Through our employee engagement program, our colleagues tell us that they are happy with their work environment, feel valued and heard.’

Shares of Boohoo are down 68 percent this year.