G4S Gets £57million for "Management" of Olympic Games [24th Sep 2012]
MPs are calling on security firm G4S to give up its £57m management fee as compensation for their disastrous handling of security for the Olympic games. Speaking at a Home Affairs Select Committee, the committee chairman Keith Vaz stated that the management fee was a small proportion of the overall £237m contract and that it should be waived by the security firm. It was pointed out that G4S had misled the government about their ability to meet the security staffing needs at the Games and that the Chief Executive Nick Buckles new about the failure at least one week before the government was told. It has also been suggested that those staff who were trained and received their security licences should be compensated if they were unable to work during the Games due to the management failures. G4S have already agreed to pay for the extra military staff who were drafted in to cover the shortfall, but do not believe they should lose their management fee, which they say only just covers their costs. Related Stories: MPs call on G4S to forgo £57m management fee after Olympics failure - www.bbc.co.uk UK panel slams G4S on Olympic security - online.wsj.com A US man has won compensation of £4.4m ($7.2m US) after it was found that he was suffering from a condition known as "popcorn lung". Wayne Watson argued that popcorn bags should have warning labels attached after he inhaled artificial butter flavouring which led to a chronic lung condition. The flavouring which is called diacetyl has been increasingly linked to health problems, but these have been mostly among workers in popcorn factories who have successfully sued their employers. Despite this, the manufacturers have made no effort test the ingredient or to warn the public of the potential of harm. Mr Watson's condition has caused irreversible obstructive lung disease which results in scars on the lungs. It was argued that Mr Watson could have gotten the condition from years working with cleaning chemicals in his job as a carpet cleaner, however the jury found that regular eating of popcorn was the most likely explanation. The liability was split 80% for the manufacturer and 20% to the supermarket where the item was sold. Related Stories: Popcorn lung wins $7.2m in US court - www.bbc.co.uk Man wins $7million in popcorn lung lawsuit - www.dailymail.co.uk King Scoopers strikes back in popcorn lung lawsuit - denver.cbslocal.com A group of homeowners in south Belfast who are still paying mortgages on homes which were demolished some time ago are taking their case to court to try and get compensation. 25 homeowners had their homes purchased by the Housing Executive under a system called vesting whereby they are bought at market value at the time. These purchases took place after the property crash in 2010 leaving many out of pocket with no way of paying the shortfall in on their mortgages. The worst affected are those who bought their properties in 2007/2008 at the height of the property boom. The case, which will begin next month will question whether those affected can be compensated for the difference. Some of the homeowners paid around £150,000 for their home and received just £70,000 from the council. The lawyer working on behalf of the group, Joe Allen has commented that the land tribunal needs to establish a practical way of solving the problem. The Housing Executive is arguing that they are hampered by the law which states they can only pay market value. The case will be the first of its kind but could have ramifications for another group of 20 homeowners in a similar position. Related Stories: Owners still paying mortgages on demolished homes - www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk Residents debt fears over vesting in north Belfast - www.bbc.co.uk A woman who was forced to leave a Gypsy site in Wales has been awarded £6,500 in compensation and legal charges after she took her case to the European Court of Human Rights. Maria Buckland was denied the right to challenge her eviction in the British courts by The House of Lords and she claims she was never given a reason for her eviction from the council owned site in Caegarw Farm. However it was thought that it could have been because her son, who had lived with her, was involved in an incident with a gun or replica. In addition Buckland had failed to pay her water charges. However the European court was not able to take these circumstances into account, but made the judgement based on the human right to respect for private and family life and home. Lawyers argued that Gypsy site dwellers should have the same right of appeal as anyone else who is facing eviction. Buckland is now living on land owned by her brother which is not zoned for residential use and has minimal facilities. Related Stories: Payout to woman evicted from Welsh caravan site - www.guardian.co.uk Evicted Gypsy wins £3,000 in human rights court - www.itv.com  |
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