MPs run out of patience with Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley, ordering him to attend a hearing on 7 June
MPs have given up waiting for billionaire Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley to set a date for a scheduled appearance to discuss the controversial sportswear retailer's treatment of its employees.
They've commanded him to appear at a hearing on 7 June.
The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) select committee of MPs want to quiz Ashley over recent media reports that workers at Sports Direct faced "gulag" conditions.
Ashley had previously been given a deadline of 21 March to reply to a letter requesting his attendance and told he must set a date before 1 June.
A spokesperson for Sports Direct said at the time that Ashley would respond to the letter "in due course".
Ashley offered to host the committee privately at Sports Direct’s headquarters in Derbyshire but the invitation was declined due to concerns over transparency.
Responding to the letter, the company spokesperson said the invitation remained open.
Last year Ashley dodged an invitation to appear in front of the Scottish affairs select committee last year, after the company was accused of behaving “backstreet outfit” when it laid off around 200 workers at a warehouse with only 15 minutes’ notice and disputes with suppliers over pay.