Enjoyed the jubilee events? read these then reply.. *shocking*

[desprateseagull]

Like many, I watched the boat parade, and concert yesterday.. until I read this.. a DISGRACEFUL way to treat people?

and with most of the rooms at Buckingham House empty..

Unemployed bussed in to steward river pageant | UK news | The Guardian


Queen Put at Risk by Workfare Provider - blog by eddiegillard

 

[Racek]

 

[Timbo]

Two jobseekers, who did not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits

That sentance says a lot.

 

[Timbo]

Both articles are dressed up to be a dig at the whole event, turns out it was just another shoddy private security firm.

 

[bhafc99]

Sorry, was this event for Elizabeth I or Elizabeth II?

You think we'd have moved on since the Middle Ages in how we treat people. But apparently not.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Both articles are dressed up to be a dig at the whole event, turns out it was just another shoddy private security firm.

This

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Both articles are dressed up to be a dig at the whole event, turns out it was just another shoddy private security firm.

How we treat people on the lowest echelons, as well as the highest echelons of society, does reflect on the whole event and the country as a whole.

 

[Timbo]

How we treat people on the lowest echelons, as well as the highest echelons, does reflect on the whole event and the country as a whole.

Tenuous!

Depends how you regard 'we'. You or I would never treat people like this. Somebody with low enough morals to operate a private security firm would do and always will do. Yet these people only represent the smallest fraction of the population but seem to be able to reflect badly on everyone.

 

[wehatepalace]

Sounds to me like someone's seen an opportunity to make a few quid from the papers. Obviously never having done security work before !
Event security, festivals and the like is notoriously shit, but pays fairly well, I'm sure she won't me moaning too much when she's coining it in during the Olympics !

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Seems like a good job interview to me

 

[yxee]

Two jobseekers, who did not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits

That sentance says a lot.

What? How would they lose their benefits if they are volunteers?

Just seems like a case of a private company taking advantage of people looking for honest work.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

As I commented somewhere else, I presume they had a choice and knew what the deal was. I bet they wouldn't have been complaining if it was a nice hot and sunny day...

 

[desprateseagull]

What? How would they lose their benefits if they are volunteers?

Just seems like a case of a private company taking advantage of people looking for honest work.

No volunteers- people HAVE to do this, or lose benefits..

If people are needed to do a full days work, they should get a FULL days pay..

 

[Timbo]

What? How would they lose their benefits if they are volunteers?

Just seems like a case of a private company taking advantage of people looking for honest work.

The whole thing makes no sense. If they were on a Government backed 'back to work' scheme which they claim they were, they can say what they like. If they were there on the sly, earning a bit of cash while still claiming benefits, then they have to keep their identities secret.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

No volunteers- people HAVE to do this, or lose benefits..

If people are needed to do a full days work, they should get a FULL days pay..

But that makes no sense. Why would they not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits, if their benefits depended on them being there?

What about if they don't do a day's work? Should they NOT get their benefits?

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Tenuous!

Depends how you regard 'we'. You or I would never treat people like this. Somebody with low enough morals to operate a private security firm would do and always will do. Yet these people only represent the smallest fraction of the population but seem to be able to reflect badly on everyone.

And that's the problem, I think. You've pinpointed it well. To dismiss it as the work of a few bad eggs in the shape of a private security firm is to relate to all people in this country as separate individuals that have nothing to do with anyone else. If 'they' do something wrong, I can wash 'my' hands of it! A very different vibe to the outpourings of supposed patriotism of the last few days...

 

[severnside gull]

event security is tough and the conditions and attitudes described are par for the course with companies making maximum profits and sod their staff having to suffer in the search for it - that said the (non workfare) staff are very well paid relatively speaking and as a general rule (I did it on and off for years as a second job) it is great fun with a fantastic cameraderie. Once these guys get their qualifications and a job at the olympics they will be happy enough and therein lies the twist in the story I suspect. No-one would be afraid of losing benefits because that doesn't happen. What they are afraid of losing out on is the lucrative olympic paydays if they complain at "abusive" treatment now. So a story built on a deliberate lie (even if the basis is abusive)? I think so.

Knock workfare if you want to - it seems to operate with minimal government oversight for standards and practice.

But the relevance to the jubilee events this weekend is tenuous insofar as it has absolutely nothing to do with the event organisers. Those talking it up as a BBC conspiracy of silence will also, I suspect, lose out heavily as I would fully expect them to make hay with the story once they can contact participants rather than re-report what would currently be heresay. It will turn into a cracking little tory-bashing story and much merited. If you want to set up work programmes (and I am all in favour) then create strict regulation to avoid abuse of participants.

 

[desprateseagull]

There's a petition going, to get this abuse of desparate people stopped..

Petition to Abolish Work for your Benefit/Workfare Schemes in the UK - e-petitions

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

There's a petition going, to get this abuse of desparate people stopped..

Petition to Abolish Work for your Benefit/Workfare Schemes in the UK - e-petitions

Poor wording.

It should be a patriotic petition to support people, who are between jobs, by giving them an allowance that frees them up to fly their flag for the Queen.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

It's not like this is some company using them. Any company that's got a contract for the Olympics will need vastly more stewards than they have on their books. So they've spent loads on training and recruitment and have used the jubilee weekend as part of that training.

Not close to shelf stacking. They'll get practical qualifications at the end of it