Olympic call up's

[Dunky]

I just received a call from G4S this afternoon requesting I email them scans of a couple of my military documents to show proof I'd been in for that period. They said they would send a blank email to me so I could send said documents. No email yet, so called them on the phone, fifteen minutes waiting to get the email address.

Of course my scanner would be U/S at the minute, so a trip to the library, where I found that my library card was out of date. Thankfully it wasn't G4S that issued me a new one.

Just to rub salt into the wound, I got an email from my unit requesting more personnel this afternoon. When several people from my unit have been mobilised for this, I don't think so. Either mobilise me or get stuffed. It makes a big difference to the money, ie mobilisation bounty, 14% rather than 5% x factor on the wages, leave etc. I'm not sweating my bollocks off for less money than someone else doing the same job.

[Easy Street]

But as a silver lining, from what I see, the public will be extremely glad to see someone in MTP acting as security rather than someone in a G4S uniform.

I disagree. I would rather see less security. The fact that we feel we need to hold QRA at a nearby airfield, have GBAD on tower blocks, and have airport-style security (complete with queues, 100ml liquids restriction so you have to buy your drinks at the sponsors' concessions inside, and the whole take-your-belt-off rigmarole) tells me something is wrong with our attitude to risk. In days gone by, even in the IRA era, this would have been done with some old-fashioned common-sense policing, some intelligence-led behind-the-scenes work and a bit of un-PC "profiling" of likely offenders (all of which, by the way, has worked very well for El Al over the years).

All this is a sign that our security policy is failing - the point of our overseas expeditions was supposed to be making us more secure at home, not needing to go through a full search to get into a sports event... so I would rather see some police, a small number of contractors, but no forces personnel on duty. In any case the Olympics is a crap target for a terrorist outrage - with so many nationalities around, the terrorists risk pissing off a random selection of countries, some of whom might actually be their friends. Only targeted Munich-style outrages would avoid that risk - and we haven't needed metal detectors at the Games for the last 40 years to prevent a repeat.

[Ali Barber]

Nothing to do with G4S, but I've just seen a picture of a soldier in London wearing camouflage uniform with a high visibility jacket over the top. Someone hasn't thought that through either!

[Jayand]

Am sure the publics relief at having military security will seem like a "silver lining" to the troops who just had their summer ruined!!!
You can have as much security as you like but you can almost guarantee there will be an attack in London, safer Country my arse!

[Bertie Thruster]

Jayand is correct. There's no point in trying to sweat yourself through a search facility into an Olympic venue when, to the rest of the world, "London" is the Olympics.

There's a completely unprotected massive shopping centre, with huge crowds, just a few steps from the main arena...............................................

Or Piccadilly Circus.......its all "London" and "London" IS the "the Olympics", as far as the 4 billion world audience is concerned.

[Winco]

Did anyone else watch that pathetic individual called Nick 'Bungle' Buckles at the select committee meeting yesterday? How on earth does someone so patently ignorant and out of his depth, get to a position of Chief Executive in a company like G4S?

It says it all really. When you have a fool like that running the show, it was (and is) always going to be a disaster. God help us! And what was it he said about 'plain English'? He didn't know if the meeting he had been attending was in Plain English?? I despair.

Further respect for all our Armed Forces. Well done to you all.
Winco

Hey Bungle, take a look at how the British Military do it. Learn from it and then $od off somewhere, anywhere away from these shores. You're not fit for purpose.

[Bertie Thruster]

There is also the problem now of hundreds of disenfranchised youngsters, who had been 100% relying on this course of work, armed with G4S uniform and LOCOG access passes but no work............and from the comments on various internet forums some of them are mighty p*ssed off..............................

[A2QFI]

Another problem seems to be an up to 50% "No Show" rate, caused either by G4S not sending emails to people telling them where to report and when or people can't be bothered to turn up. This gives police/military a very short notice problem. Big fails at the US team hotel in Birmingham and at a cycle race at Box Hill

[airborne_artist]

Things are clearly getting desperate - reports in the press of the military planning to deploy soldiers straight from 26 weeks of basic training to Olympic duties. My guess is that they'd normally go on leave at that point? Hey ho.

[sitigeltfel]

Re all those who have been recruited and failed to turn up. Many of them will have been recruited from the ranks of the unemployed, and I hope G4S lets the dole office know so that their benefits can be stopped.

[NutLoose]

Well I hope someone now realises how short the Services are having to send new recruits because the manpower no longer exists, top that off with the future cull of 20,000 and you then realise that we do not even have those available to cover a sporting event, let alone a tanker strike anymore.... And yet the Government still think we will be able to man the pumps with 20k less folks than they have now..

[airpolice]

Lefty, that's a bit harsh.

Imagine thinking that you are going to be working for a wee while. Then G4S fail to tell you where to report

So you don't earn any money, and now someone wants the DSS to stop your benefits because you didn't go to the job that didn't want you there.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

More of the Navy to be called up. The Olympic bigwigs in the Park Lane hotels are complaining about a shortage of male escorts......

[airborne_artist]

From what I have read the vast majority who want to work for G4S are not on benefits. They are students or the recently graduated, the semi-retired/retired and others who are between jobs but not formally job-seeking.

[iglide]

More RAF to go!!

Up to 500 personnel to go from RAF Cosford.... in addition to those d**ked already.

[baffman]

Nothing to do with G4S, but I've just seen a picture of a soldier in London wearing camouflage uniform with a high visibility jacket over the top. Someone hasn't thought that through either!

Not an unusual sight. There isnt a special uniform for a soldier to change into, out of MTP, when required to wear a hi vis jacket.

[NutLoose]

Seen on a well known Auction site Someone is quick off the mark

[cornish-stormrider]

nutters - like it.
can't wait to see what the boys come up with, I expect a few unofficial ones will find their way out there.

[Bertie Thruster]

Re all those who have been recruited and failed to turn up. Many of them will have been recruited from the ranks of the unemployed, and I hope G4S lets the dole office know so that their benefits can be stopped.

Everyone I met during this voyage into lunacy, who had been previously unemployed, had signed off before attending training. (as the training days would be paid days.....but paid only when at least 5 shifts had been completed)

But if no one contacts you after your training or you are "Number 96 in the queue" on a call to the call centre that's costing you money by the minute

Yes it is !!!!! for the guys dragged in off leave but there are 1000's out there who had put their lives on hold (and off the dole) since Feb/March waiting for non existant emails and phone calls. This debacle is entirely the fault of G4S management. But of course it will be the dick at the end of the stick that gets the blame.

[Bertie Thruster]

At least for some it gave the chance to get on the Team: