Sports Direct allows public to attend its annual general meeting and tour the site
The retail giant which has come under fire for its treatment of workers has opened its doors for the first time giving an opportunity for people to speak to the board directors,
The event is being held at the company’s Shirebrook headquarters and an application for members of the public to attend has now closed.
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Hide AdIn an announcement to the Stock Market the company said:“The board would like to encourage all of those with questions about the company to attend ... so that we may be able to answer as many questions as possible,” The 11am-5pm event will be hosted by all board directors, including the Sports Direct founder and executive deputy chairman, Mike Ashley, the chairman, Keith Hellawell, and the chief executive, Dave Forsey.
The move represents a change of direction for the company which initially banned reporters from its AGM last year.
Sports Direct is offering attendees a tour of the Shirebrook site, After a lunch break, there will be a presentation by board directors and a Q&A session, where topics up for discussion include the retailer’s “people strategy”.
The distribution centre in Shirebrook has been under scrutiny over its “Victorian” working practices and faces increasing pressure from shareholders to improve corporate governance and its treatment of workers.
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Hide AdShareholders will vote on a union-backed plan to commission an investigation into working practices that will report back within six months.
Last week, the company said it would publish an independent report on working practices put together by its lawyers, RPC. Sports Direct said the report would review an internal investigation announced in December.