Prescott condemns ‘exploitation of cheap labour’ for Jubilee

The former deputy prime minister said there had been a “complete disregard” for the conditions of the stewards who were forced to sleep in the cold under London Bridge in the early hours of Sunday. The Labour peer, who has urged Ministers to investigate, warned that the incident could set the tone for the treatment of workers during the Olympics.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “It raises many questions on the provision of unpaid labour in these kind of positions, not only on the Jubilee event, but also particularly for the coming Olympic ones.”

He said Home Secretary Theresa May should look at the conditions of employment by companies like Close Protection UK, who provided stewards during the weekend celebrations and are bidding for contracts during the Olympics.

The unpaid labour were brought in as part of the Government’s Work Programme, under which unemployed jobseekers must take up placements in order to continue receiving benefits.

“We’re using unpaid labour in the kinds of positions that are causing great concern and may well be establishing the practice for the coming Olympics, which this company is involved in as well,” Lord Prescott said.

According to reports, the jobseekers had to change into security gear in public and could not access a toilet for 24 hours.

After a 14-hour shift in the rain on Sunday – marshalling crowds who had turned up to watch the river pageant – they were then taken to a swamp-like campsite outside London, it is claimed.