London 2012: bus drivers vote to strike during Olympic Games - The Guardian
Thousands of London bus workers have voted to go on strike during the Olympics if they do not receive a bonus of £500.
Members of the Unite union voted for industrial action by a ratio of nine to one. The union is seeking the bonus for the 20,000 bus workers it represents, claiming that other transport workers have been paid a premium for working during the event.
The ballot allows the union to name the date for a strike but they have not yet named a date. Unite said it was giving the bus companies a final opportunity to consider the "landslide" ballot result before announcing possible strike dates early next week.
At least 800,000 extra passengers are predicted to use London's buses during the Olympics.
Unite official Peter Kavanagh said negotiations had been going on for a year.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics. Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out," he said.
"We have given Transport for London and the bus operators almost a year to resolve this issue. Every single London transport worker in London will receive a reward to recognise their major contribution to this historic occasion except for London's bus workers."
RUGBY: London Welsh pleased by support (From Oxford Mail) - Oxford Mail
RUGBY: London Welsh pleased by support
10:40am Saturday 9th June 2012 in Sport
London Welsh paid tribute to the “overwhelming” backing from across the sporting world after submitting their appeal to the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The Championship winners, who want to play top-flight rugby at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford next season, are contesting a ruling from the RFU last month they were ineligible for promotion to the Premiership.
The Exiles appealed this week and it is due to be heard on June 21.
Chairman Bleddyn Phillips revealed the support the club had received included Premiership owners and managers and figures in the Football League.
He said: “We are most grateful to all of you for this, which to our mind underscores very sharply what we believe to be the fundamental issue at stake.”
And the Richmond club’s chief remains perplexed by the ruling.
He said: “(London Welsh) have arrangements already in place to play its ‘home’ games next season at a top sporting venue which would rank, in our view, as one of the best grounds offering up Premiership rugby in 2012/13.
“To our mind, it makes our case for promotion even more compelling and the reasoning behind its rejection even more difficult to fathom.”
London 2012: London bus drivers vote to strike over bonuses - BBC News
Bus workers in London have voted to take strike action in a row over their workload during the Olympics.
Nearly 40% of Unite members working for 21 bus companies voted 94% in favour of strike action. No dates have been set.
The union, which is asking for a £500 bonus, says bus workers are the only London transport workers not to receive an Olympics bonus payment.
Transport for London (TfL) said it was disappointed but workers were employed by private firms who set their pay.
Dates for strike action could be announced early next week.
Unite says it expects 800,000 extra passengers to travel on buses during the Games.
It said workers on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railways, Network Rail and Virgin would all receive between £500 to £900 in extra payments.
In May, a survey of 2,955 London bus and rail passengers commissioned by the union found that 88% were in favour of Olympic bonus pay.
'Completely reprehensible'Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: "It's a disgrace that London's mayor, Boris Johnson, and the bus companies have allowed this dispute to get this far.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics.
"Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out."
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "I am not surprised that 70% of London's bus drivers did not vote for strike action.
"That is because about 70% of London's local bus services are not affected by the Olympic Games.
"The whole country is really entering into the spirit of the Games and the overwhelming responsible majority are pulling out all the stops to make it a huge success.
"Only Unite appears to want to exploit it by adding a further multimillion-pound burden to the hard-pressed fare-payers and taxpayers of London."
Mr Daniels added that Unite had already negotiated binding deals for pay and conditions with each of the bus companies for this year.
"Attempting to tear up those agreements and get a new one with less than 50 days to go before the Games is completely reprehensible and out of step with every other provider of services in this city this summer."
Triathlon trio join Brownlee brothers in push for London gold - Daily Mail
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Vicky Holland, Lucy Hall and Stuart Hayes will join Alistair Brownlee, Jonny Brownlee and Helen Jenkins in the Great Britain triathlon team at the London Olympics.
The latter trio booked their places last year after superb seasons, with Alistair Brownlee and Jenkins winning their second world titles and Jonny Brownlee establishing himself as world No 2.
Britain have never won an Olympic medal in triathlon but it would be a major surprise were they not to change that statistic this time.
Brothers in arms: Helen Jenkins is flanked by Jonathan and Alastair Browlee
Alistair Brownlee in particular has been utterly dominant over the last three years, winning 11 of the 15 World Triathlon Series races he has competed in, picking up two world titles as well as two European titles.
The 24-year-old was a clear winner over the Olympic course in Hyde Park last year, as was Jenkins, who has been a consistent medal winner and began her 2012 season with second place in Sydney and then a runaway victory in San Diego.
Alistair Brownlee will return to action at the Blenheim Triathlon on Saturday after missing the start of the season with an achilles injury, and in his absence his 22-year-old brother has taken on the mantle.
Jonny Brownlee won in San Diego and then crushed the opposition in Madrid two weeks ago for his first victories over the Olympic distance at elite senior level.
The selection of the rest of the team has been controversial, with British Triathlon making clear their stated intent to win a medal and leaving open the possibility of picking domestiques to help their team-mates rather than the best athletes individually.
The governing body are not saying in what capacity Holland, Hall and Hayes have been selected, but in the case of the latter two especially, it appears they will be there in a supporting role.
Holland has hit form at just the right time with top-seven finishes in San Diego and Madrid and may well race in her own right.
Hall, 20, has never finished higher than 37th in a World Series race over the Olympic distance but she is one of the fastest swimmers in the sport and may well be able to help Jenkins split the pack, giving her a better chance of victory.
Hayes, who will also be making his Olympic debut at the age of 33, won the World Series race in Kitzbuhel in 2010 but has not had any results of note since.
However, he is an experienced and highly respected team member and his prowess in the 40 kilometre bike leg is likely to have swayed the selectors.
If things go to plan, then the Brownlees will not need the extra help but Hayes will also be there should things go wrong, as they did at the European Championships last year when Alistair Brownlee picked up a puncture but still won after his team-mates worked with him to get back to the pack.
Seb Coe Pledges Support for London CITIZENS 100 Days of Peace Project and CitySafe Campaign - YAHOO!
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has pledged his support for the 100 Days of Peace project, by becoming one of the first people to sign the Peace Pledge.
(PRWEB) June 09, 2012
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has pledged his support for the 100 Days of Peace project, by becoming one of the first people to sign the Peace Pledge.-
Link to images of Seb Coe and London CITIZENS members meeting to mark the 100 Days of Peace project here
The launch rally for the 100 Days of Peace project will be held on Saturday 9 June at the Scoop by City Hall. Shadow Minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell MP and Chair of the CitySafe Foundation, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning Edward Lister, Simon Hughes MP and Leader of Southwark Council Peter John will also attend the event.
There will be 18 other CitySafe rallies organised by London CITIZENS taking place across London on the same day in 18 other Boroughs.
The objective of 100 Days of Peace, which is a London 2012 Inspire Mark project, is to promote a safer and more tolerant society across the Games period and is specifically aimed at young people. It is strongly linked to London 2012’s work around the Olympic Truce and seeks peace in London for 50 days ahead of the Games and for 50 days afterwards. At the end of this period, on October 28th, London CITIZENS will publish a new map of London with CitySafe Zones marked on it.
An integral part of the 100 Days of Peace project is the CitySafe Campaign where young people and adults will work on a number of initiatives. These include encouraging local businesses and organisations to offer their premises as CitySafe Havens, pledging to report 100% of crime and organising events that facilitate dialogue between police and young people, led by CitySafe Champions.
The aim is to build stronger communities, neighbourhood organisations and relationship with the police to strengthen CitySafe Zones.
The CitySafe Campaign is led by London CITIZENS member communities which include Families United and The Jimmy Mizen Foundation.
Both 100 Days of Peace and the CitySafe Campaign are coordinated by London Citizens, the UK’s largest independent civic alliance with over 250 schools, churches, mosques, trade unions, charities and local associations. One of the four sub-regional groups of London Citizens is the East London Communities Organisations (TELCO) which has been working with London 2012 from the start of the bid process.
TELCO has worked with LOCOG on a number of issues, including getting all London 2012 contractors to agree to pay the London Living Wage where applicable and appropriate, ensuring job opportunities were promoted to citizens in east London, and putting forward candidates for recruitment events.
Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “The 100 Days of Peace project is a great initiative and I would encourage all members of the public and businesses to back this. It absolutely fits in with the vision we set out in Singapore to inspire young people and provide them with new opportunities in life. The first meeting I had once I was appointed Chair of the Bid Committee was with London Citizens and over the years we have been driven, guided and steered by them on a number of key issues for residents in London. I would like to thank London Citizens for their leadership and very practical way in which they are helping deliver our vision at a Borough level. This is something we will always want to support.”
Paul O’Shea, Chair of London Citizens Trustees said: “We are delighted that the working relationship we forged with Lord Coe and the Bid Committee in 2004 has been so constructive throughout and adds massively to the legacy that the Games will leave behind for Londoners – particularly East and South Londoners. LOCOG has delivered on all of the commitments made to London CITIZENS and signed off in a ceremony in City Hall in November 2004 – Living Wage Jobs throughout the Estate; Construction Training for local people; money for schools and health care in Stratford and jobs for local people. We look to the Legacy Company to ensure that the land available for housing on the site includes Community Land Trusts which will ensure affordable homes for local families in perpetuity.
“We wish to thank Lord Coe and his team for their steadfastness, leadership and for honouring the commitments made eight years ago. Lord Coe’s support for our CitySafe Campaign is a bonus and fits exactly with the Olympic tradition of a legacy of peace and more integrated communities.”
Paul Amuzie, a former student from St Bonaventure’s School in Newham and other young people from Forest Gate came up with the name and concept of CitySafe in 2008. Paul attended a meeting with Seb Coe earlier this week and said: “I am very proud that Lord Coe that the 100 Days of Peace and the Inspire Mark will help us take the CitySafe campaign to over 20 London Boroughs and make those communities safer and better organised. There are now over 300 CitySafe Havens, including City Hall and the Mayor has agreed to be the CitySafe Campaign Ambassador. This not only makes our streets safer, it reduces the fear of crime in our neighbourhoods by bringing traders and neighbours together with the police to ensure folks can go about their business in peace.”
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.
Find out the latest from London 2012 on http://www.london2012.com, follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012 or download the Offical London 2012 Join In app.
The Official London 2012 Join In app is a free mobile guide to help you plan, enjoy and share your Games experience. From the Olympic Torch Relay to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, plus all the cultural, city and community celebrations happening across the UK, the Official London 2012 Join In App is your essential companion. It is available now at app stores and at http://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/
About CitySafe Zones
A CitySafe Zone is a street or neighbourhood with CitySafe Havens and a London CITIZENS member community that has agreed to organise the communities for peace, work closely with the police and ensure the traders and neighbours all know each other and meet regularly to ensure the ‘Zone’ offers protection and security and positive relationships for the future.
London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.
There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and two domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Suppliers, Otto Bock and Panasonic. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.
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