Democracy has triumphed in holding Mike Ashley to account

As the developed world stares down the barrel of an uberising economy it is worth pausing to celebrate the relentless effort of the trade unions and the select committee system

(Reuters)

Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley was candid and straightforward when he faced questions from MPs on Tuesday afternoon over working conditions at his warehouse in Derbyshire. It was clear to see he doesn’t want to run a company in which staff are fined 15 minutes pay for being one minute late, told to work harder over the public address system, charged an admin fee to access their wages and are so scared of disciplinary sanctions they give birth in the company toilet. But is has made him very rich.

As the developed world stares down the barrel of an Uber-ising economy, and the casual technological destruction of a 150 years of workers' rights, it is worth pausing to celebrate the relentless effort of the trade unions - in this case Unite - in giving a voice to those unable or afraid to speak up for themselves. For the journalists who have made that voice heard. And for parliament, via its select committee system, to seek public assurances of change. It is a surprisingly well oiled machine of change.

Now, Mr Ashley has promised, his workers will not lose pay for time spent queuing at security checkpoints to get in and out of their workplace. Their wages will reflect the hours they have worked. They will be treated as the law dictates they must be treated. He has had his feet held to the fire, and his staff will benefit. It’s possible even that it will improve his business.

But abuses of the type brought under the piercing glare of the public spotlight in this case are happening everywhere. More and more of our shopping is coming from warehouses, not shops. The staff that work in them are coming from agencies, many of them immigrants from less lucky parts of the world than us. Capitalism - complete with the checks that enlightened workers have fought for centuries - must be deployed to give poor people enough money to survive and enough dignity to feel proud of themselves. We hope MPs continue to have the courage to turn their power on the powerful.