Tomorrows People who has supplied stewards for the river pageant on Sunday has been criticised for the conditions offered to unpaid volunteers who did the job as part of a work experience scheme.
Some of the staff complained that they had been expected to camp under London Bridge the night before the event.
Abi Levitt, Tomorrow’s People’s director of development, told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One that “there is no doubt that there was a logistical problem which left not just young people but a whole number of people around the muster point around London Bridge for two hours before any representative of CPUK were there.
One woman from Bristol said she was among 80 people left stranded in central London overnight.
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We went under London Bridge and were told we would be camping there,”
She claimed they were told they would start work at 5am but by 3.30am they still had not been given somewhere other than the street to sleep. She said she was then made to change into her uniform in public before spending 14 hours on duty without access to toilet facilities.
Labour’s former deputy leader Lord Prescott has now written to Home Secretary Theresa May asking her to investigate claims made against security firm, Close Protection UK (CPUK), was contracted to provide up to 30 unpaid stewards for the river pageant on Sunday had bussed in the group of long-term unemployed from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth
Tomorrow’s People will issue a full statement tomorrow….
