G4S: Catastrophic corporate failure..

[free spirit]

I suspect that it's a combination of them having massive resources to write very impressive bid documents, combined with the legal clout to force anyone with a bad word to say about their previous actions to stfu, and certainly not to put info about poor performance in the public domain, so anyone assessing bid documents wouldn't know where to go for info on previous poor performance on projects not referenced in the bid document.

 

[ddraig]

chucked out of St James park!
ace
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18959672

Security firm G4S is being replaced at St James' Park in Newcastle and will not manage Olympic football matches taking place there.
Instead local companies will be contracted to patrol the stadium due to a "significant shortfall" in G4S staff, Newcastle City Council said.
It said Games organiser Locog had approached the council to help fill the gaps created by "logistical issues".

 

[treelover]

Some of the 'local' security companies will be just as dodgy as G4S, if not more so..

 

[free spirit]

Some of the 'local' security companies will be just as dodgy as G4S, if not more so..

nah, they'll bring in Event Cover who know their shit, and always paid reasonably - it's who I both worked for for a while and also contracted for security on most of the festivals and events I ran up there.

G4S have zero presence up there in the event security market afaik, so were starting from scratch. Event cover have been running for 20 years or more, run the security at the newcastle arena, and most big events up there, so have a large experienced team that can handle this sort of thing at 2-3 days notice without any problems.

I've just checked their site, and they also provide on the job NVQ's for their stewards, so none of that workfare crap.

 

[two sheds]

Good if true. One of the aspects of EU funding I dislike is that the infrastructure projects seem to end up with the big multinationals so it doesn't put the money into the local economy that they claim.

 

[Pickman's model]

Good if true. One of the aspects of EU funding I dislike is that the infrastructure projects seem to end up with the big multinationals so it doesn't put the money into the local economy that they claim.

As opposed to uk infrastructure projects which seem to end up with, er, the big multinationals so they don't put the money into the local economy

 

[two sheds]

As opposed to uk infrastructure projects which seem to end up with, er, the big multinationals so they don't put the money into the local economy

Indeed.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Good for this (tory's daughter) she has taken some risks here, most employers don't like whistleblowers, her chances of professional employment have imo, been somewhat reduced...

I don't know about that. I'd say that if she was thinking about going into the meeja, her career prospects will have been enhanced.

 

[agricola]

Bumped because G4S have managed to pick up a smaller-scale contract to provide security at an event this autumn.

 

[Quartz]

Hehehe. This also gave me a smile:

David Cameron​

will be shedding no tears this summer for Bob Diamond. Indeed, I hear the Prime Spinner chuckled when the shamed former Barclays boss proved Diamonds aren’t for ever. The PM has the prodigious memory of an elephant and the thin skin of a butterfly wing. He recalls, I’m told, an occasion when Diamond treated him like a failed bond dealer in front of officials during a No 10 summit. He who laughs last, etc.​

​

 

[treelover]

'Immigration minister Damian Green said that as part of the drive the Home Office will next month hire a company to identify and warn “over-stayers” that they are being targeted. G4S, which was criticised over Olympic security blunders, is understood to be bidding for the contract. The company will gather information on potential targets and send letters telling them they should leave but it will not carry out any arrests.'

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...rder-agency-targets-visa-abusers-8069753.html

G4S is in the running for a 'bounty hunter' contract to sniff out illegal Visa 'overstayers as the Tories get tough on immigration and attempt to shore up their support.

the corporate state goes ever onward...

 

[equationgirl]

Bumped because this catastrophic failure of G4S led to the deaths of two security contractors in Iraq even though they were warned not to employ this person:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19730387

There are calls for G4S to be charged on corporate manslaughter charges for these deaths.

 

[likesfish]

Fitzsimmons left the army under a cloud got kicked out of iraq for being dangerous by another company which was quite an achievement. Got nicked in the uk and was out on bail for fireing a minflare at someone.
Even a basic check of referances would have got the poor sod binned.

Not really g4s fault they brought armour group who'd employed the violent nutjob after this shit hit the fan

 

[equationgirl]

Fitzsimmons left the army under a cloud got kicked out of iraq for being dangerous by another company which was quite an achievement. Got nicked in the uk and was out on bail for fireing a minflare at someone.
Even a basic check of referances would have got the poor sod binned.

Not really g4s fault they brought armour group who'd employed the violent nutjob after this shit hit the fan

They admitted they didn't check his references as thoroughly as they should have, therefore I'm pretty sure they're at fault.

 

[likesfish]

except he was employed by armour group who were purchased by G4S after this had happened.
much as I'd like to blame g4s for this massive cock up they werent invovled when it happened

 

[equationgirl]

except he was employed by armour group who were purchased by G4S after this had happened.
much as I'd like to blame g4s for this massive cock up they werent invovled when it happened

From the article:

Private security guard Paul McGuigan, from the Scottish Borders, was shot dead by Danny Fitzsimons in 2009 in Baghdad while on a protection contract.
Another man, Australian Darren Hoare, was also killed.
All were working for UK contractor G4S, which was operating under the name ArmorGroup in the region.

G4S is responsible.

This is a fuller response from G4S and at no point do they say that they weren't responsible:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19730393

 

[ddraig]

11 protesters who bought shares violently removed from G4S AGM, guardian banned from tweeting and talking to them

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/05/g4s-security-guards-violently-remove-protesters-agm

John Connolly, the firm's chairman, banned the Guardian from tweeting or live reporting from the meeting.

G4S security guards prevented shareholders from taking photographs or videos of the violent removal of protesters.

A shareholder interrupted proceedings to question the board about the violent removal of protesters. He said: "This cannot be acceptable. You can not have people being dragged out."

Another shareholder said: "We feel very uncomfortable about our company doing this."

A total of 29 security guards and other personnel were positioned around the room.

G4S has denied any involvement in torture or human rights abuses. Connolly said the company had already decided not to renew its contracts to maintain prisons inn Israel and the West Bank.

An independent human rights report commissioned by G4S following similar protests at last year's AGM found the company "had no causal or contributory role in human rights violations".

"There are clearly human rights failings in some parts of Israel's security system, but G4S's role is far removed from their immediate causes and impact," the report by Hugo Slim, a research fellow at the Institute of Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict at the University of Oxford, said

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

Good piece of journalism by Real Media. Please share if you agree.

'Securing Your World': Inequality, Brutality & G4S

 

[two sheds]

Good piece of journalism by Real Media. Please share if you agree.

'Securing Your World': Inequality, Brutality & G4S

"It is the world’s third largest employer"

Yes scary and good article.

 

[tim]

"It is the world’s third largest employer"

Yes scary and good article.

Odd that the powerful are willing to entrust our and their own safety on an organisation that seems incapabe of doing basic background checks oh their employees. Employing and arming someone on an FBI terrorist watch list seems stunningly incompetent, even by G4S's own lamentable standards.

 

[Pickman's model]

Odd that the powerful are willing to entrust our and their own safety on an organisation that seems incapabe of doing basic background checks oh their employees. Employing and arming someone on an FBI terrorist watch list seems stunningly incompetent, even by G4S's own lamentable standards.

you'd have thought so. in the same way that you wouldn't want the powerful to entrust large scale it project after large scale it project to an utterly incompetent firm: but step forward crapita and take a bow.

 

[tim]

Women travellers in quarantine hotels being sexually harassed by their G4S guards. This is not just the "bad apple" but is happening at various hotels. Those accused, despite promises to the contrary, are not suspended. I would imagine the situation far worse in detention centres.


Lone women tell of harassment in quarantine hotels - BBC News

 

[Chilli.s]

Any way to sneak into the country through an airport and just go home to isolate?