Deplorable living conditions for security staff at Glasgow Commonwealth Games

[SpookyFrank]

Well to be fair I'm sure it would have been impossible for them to find anyone who actually lived in Glasgow who was in need of a few weeks' work. Possibly they figured out that people were more likely to put up with the shitty hours and conditions if they were a long way from home

My uncle was volunteering up there, I wonder if he was aware of any of this stuff...

 

[SpookyFrank]

A Games spokeswoman said: “Glasgow 2014 works with local authorities and other agencies to make sure the contract security workforce has a safe and healthy temporary living environment.

“It is the contractor’s responsibility to arrange accommodation and ensure the welfare and comfort of their staff.”

Well, is it one or the other? Are you working with these contractors to check everything's above board (which in the case of the sleeping arrangements I suppose it was in the literal sense) or is it their responsibility alone? How can you just spit out two contradictory sentences and think that absolves you of any blame for this shit? They can't even be bothered to pretend to express regret. Pathetic.

 

[free spirit]

my suspicion would be that they were supposed to have access to the school for toilets, showers etc but someone fucked up.

not that those marquees are suitable either, at least not without a raised floor.

More likely they were supposed to have been bringing their own tents, and that marquee was supposed to have been a catering tent.

Assuming the space and marquee were arranged centrally, rather than by the security company - I doubt a security company could arrange the use of school fields by themselves.

I dealt with some clusterfuck type situations like this, eg festival organisers arranging for the water to be pulled from the site the day after the event closed, when we had 20 staff on site for a week after that. It happens, but should have been resolved within hours / a day or so at the outside if the manager was half way competent.

 

[JTG]

Well to be fair I'm sure it would have been impossible for them to find anyone who actually lived in Glasgow who was in need of a few weeks' work. Possibly they figured out that people were more likely to put up with the shitty hours and conditions if they were a long way from home

My uncle was volunteering up there, I wonder if he was aware of any of this stuff...

There are that many unemployed SIA badge holders in Glasgow?

 

[Dj USA#1]

Stupid liberal cunts

They should all live in lovely little houses for the 3 weeks I suppose

Not your houses, but nice little houses for sure.humans can't live in dormitories for two weeks, they will turn into mushrooms

 

[DotCommunist]

how you gettin on ninj?

 

[J Ed]

I know bouncers have a rep but generally security must be one of the shadiest areas of work. Shit conditions, long hours low pay, access to security systems... You'd have to give serious consideration to trying to plan something, be ameanable to taking bribes. Treating people decently isn't just about being ethical, it's more productive... But we all know that. So I hope those responsible for these conditions have to keep looking behind them, walk in fear.

I quite often chat to the people that do security at my call centre job, they are treated like absolute shit - they are subcontracted, paid minimum wage, forced to wear full suits outside on hot days. They are also rotated around different companies every 6 months.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

I wonder what the SNP have to say about this, given the big crossroads we're coming to.

 

[pogofish]

Also remember that once G4s got involved in the games, they pushed for and actually managed to have the security budget increased from around £27 million to around £90 million, the last time I saw any figures - clearly accommodation was not one of the areas that benefited from this extra spending!

 

[Chilli.s]

Just goes to show all that employment legislation, work conditions, health and safety, means chuff all when an employer wants to break rules they can.
Whistle blower? Don't make me laugh, kiss your job and prospects goodbye.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

There are that many unemployed SIA badge holders in Glasgow?

There might be - there's a big push from Job Centres and WP providers to get folk to use their ILA grant (dunno if this is a Scottish only thing but you get an annual £200 to go towards training, classes etc) and the SIA and CSCS cards are popular ones to get.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I wonder what the SNP have to say about this, given the big crossroads we're coming to.

These workers seem to have been brought in from England and treated very badly indeed by contractors hired for a Scottish project, so I wouldn't think the SNP would get too much mileage from it.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

These workers seem to have been brought in from England and treated very badly indeed by contractors hired for a Scottish project, so I wouldn't think the SNP would get too much mileage from it.

They should still be willing to investigate and if necessary condemn, rather than just accept all the 'glory' of the games while sweeping shit under the carpet.

 

[likesfish]

Normal jobs dont expect you to live under canvas.

Festival work outward boundy stuff.
Having spent a week in a wet hedge would have killed for a leaky marquee or a chance to sleep But that wasnt a normal job and I wasnt expected to be presentable to the public.
The contractor should be named and shamed

 

[dylanredefined]

Also remember that once G4s got involved in the games, they pushed for and actually managed to have the security budget increased from around £27 million to around £90 million, the last time I saw any figures - clearly accommodation was not one of the areas that benefited from this extra spending!

G4s treat their work force like crap. They are crap in the UK worse in Kenya. For some unknown reason the blokes guarding the camp in the middle of the bush were not allowed to eat in the cook house there g4s wouldn't pay the army or something the guards were eating basically fried flour. Gave them my emergency rations ,and, karma repaid me by getting me lost for 8 hours in the bush.

 

[equationgirl]

FS, if you have some time maybe you could share your expertise with the workers, they won't be too difficult to contact,

lots of small help groups with people with expertise in their field seem to setting up now challenging these 19th C policies, there is one for instance challenging benefit sanctions.

Maybe I'm missing something but will a workforce that has all but scattered to the four corners of the UK not be difficult to contact?

 

[treelover]

I meant one or two as representatives, then there is the net, email, etc.

 

[porp]

Back to the 30's we go, or even to the 19th C..

So much my first reaction too - but what makes me uncomfortable is that the difference in the 1930s is that there weren't loads of 'gamesmakers' or whatever volunteering for free and, not intentionally and with goodwill abundant, undermining the concept of a day's work for a day's pay.Yes, there were plenty of ways to labour precariously in the 1930s, but not this seemingly modern phenomenon of the volunteer army crowding out real work and encouraging a 'we're all in it together, so never mind the freezing floor...'

I may be talking out of my arse and the Empire Games were run just like this. And I certainly don't mean to insult individual volunteers for the Olympics etc.