G4S and operations

The more cynical among us, and I definitely include myself in that number, are probably not very surprised at this news that G4S are not going to be able to deliver the goods on security for the Olympic farce Games. I am equally not surprised that they apparently didn't realise that this was the case until just over a week ago and definitely not surprised that it hadn't registered with the CEO. Nick Buckles. We only have to look at the recent fiascos with the banks for confirmation that, even if they do know what's going on in their organisation, they sure as hell ain't gonna admit it.
However, the interview with said Mr Buckles on Radio 4 yesterday morning raised the bar to new heights of amazement. In fact, I stayed in bed for an extra ten minutes just to hear it to the end.
Mr Buckles, it must be said, would put many a politican to shame with his ability to evade the question and parrot his pre-prepared speech
"We agreed to uptake our requirement from 2000 to 10000," he said at one point. Which means precisely what? When did this kind of nonsensical, meaningless drivel become the norm in interviews?
Four thousand people had been trained and deployed, whilst another nine thousand were 'being sheduled,' which means what? Apparently it meant that they were 'in the pipeline.' Any clearer? No, thought not.
Throughout the interview, Mr Buckles kept insisting that this was 'a highly complex recruitment operation' and brushed off any suggestion that G4S might have been trying to cut costs by employing too few people for the recruitment process. "We're not making any money from this," he insisted, "we will lose between £30,000 and £50,000."
Then there was the question about whether or not all the security personnel being employed could speak english. He was 'fairly sure' they could but also 'supposed' that not all personnel would come into direct contact with the public anyway, but he wasn't sure. I am sure that, on a reported annual  salary of £1.2 million, he damned well ought to be sure - about everything!
In his TV interview, Mr Buckles did offer a brief apology to the military personnel who are going to have to step into the breach but I certainly didn't hear any apology in the radio interview, although he did mutter something about being 'grateful' to them, which is fairly meaningless as they have no choice in the matter.
The best suggestion I have heard since yesterday morning is that Mr Buckles and the rest of his band of highly paid executives, should give up their bonuses to be allocated to the soldiers who will have to deal with the chaotic mess they have created.
Don't hold your breath though.
Meanwhile, I am going to uptake my requirement from coffee to coffee and a biscuit!

Oh and just to encourage you to check that today is not April !st,  BBC Breakfast reported this morning that there is a move to ensure that operations done on patients will be carried out by people who are qualified doctors and surgeons.
So that's all-right then. Keith is disappointed though. He had hoped that auto-locksmithing to brain surgeon would be a natural career progession.

9 comments:

Shooting Parrots said...

I've heard several interviews with people who applied for these jobs, went through the interview etc, and then heard nothing.

One of them said that he had a call on Friday last week asking whether he was okay to attend the training session on the following Monday. Of course he wasn't because he hadn't arranged to take time off his real work.

As for Keith though, I'm sure a new career in keyhole surgery beckons!

Jennytc said...

Of course, SP. He hasn't given up hope yet. ;)

ZACL said...

You can bet your bottom dollar, all the evasiveness is a cover-up for the Government's usual do-it-on-the-cheap idea and manipulations. Have you noticed two things;

A)There's a general silence from Government politicians on the issue, till someone asks a direct question;

B)When answering, they are really quite nice (in soft political terms) about the company.

Why ask a company, so late in the day, (eleven months before the due date) to take on a larger load of work than originally contracted out? It's not time enough for the structural basis on which they were working. Why did G4S accept the additional contract?

Were there no other suitable companies who could have taken a smaller contract with almost tailor-made personnel, retired police officers, etc?

All this, in my cynical view, adds up to what has occurred. Here is the ideal excuse to bring in the troops, when it has to be accepted as a necessity, rather than as a prime facie bit of prior planning. So, was this a contingency plan? quite likely. There is free reign now, to magic up other contingencies.

Cro Magnon said...

Another bloody fiasco, and another bloody Fat Cat. Ground to air missiles, cops with machine guns, and troops on every street corner; just another day in LaLa Land.

Jennytc said...

Wow, ZACL, you're even more cynical than I am! However, I see your point and nothing would surprise me with this lot in power.

Jennytc said...

Aren't you glad you moved to France, Cro?

elaine said...

Crazy, crazy, crazy

Cro Magnon said...

Er..... Yup!

Jennytc said...

With a lot more crazy on top, Elaine. ;)

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...