Boohoo joins forces with Burnley Cricket Club as union pressure mounts

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jul 12, 2019

Boohoo has committed to supporting a local cricket club in Burnley in a bid to give back to the town as a trade union’s campaign to be recognised by the clothing retailer intensifies.

Boohoo said the local area of Burnley plays an “instrumental part” in its operation, being the home of its distribution centre and customer service teams. 

The three-year partnership with Burnley Cricket Club will see the ground renamed as “The boohoo.com Turf Moor”, and significant investment will be put into “The Boohoo Junior Cricket Academy” to help develop both boys' and girls cricket.

Mike Suban, head of HR at Boohoo.com, said: “As one of the largest employers in Burnley, Boohoo are proud to be part of the local community. We are continually looking to identify opportunities to create meaningful local partnerships and invest in the future of Burnley and its people. 

“Burnley Cricket Club do a lot of great work nurturing junior talent through their academy, some of whom will be sons and daughters of our colleagues, and we are delighted to help support this initiative through this new partnership.”

Boohoo’s distribution site in Burnley has been recently targeted by protesters who claim the online retailer has refused to recognise trade union Usdaw and instructed staff not to speak to union representatives.

On Thursday, Burnley councillors backed a motion tabled by Cllr Mark Townsend, Labour group leader, urging the fashion group to engage with the union.

Mike Aylward, Usdaw divisional officer said: “We are grateful to Burnley’s councillors for their support for our members and all workers at Boohoo. Burnley council now adds their name to a list of organisations, including the Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee and the Ethical Trading Initiative, who are calling for Boohoo to engage with Usdaw. I will be seeking a meeting with the council to see how we can make their newly adopted policy a reality.