www.bbc.co.uk

Wembley workers laid off over pay

The stadium's construction has been beset by problems
Hundreds of workers helping build the new Wembley Stadium have been laid off over a pay row with contractors.
Union officials said steelworkers, scaffolders and welders were given notice that they would no longer be employed as of next Tuesday.

The lay-offs, the latest problem to hit the new £757m stadium, are because sub-contractors have not been paid.

Last week work stopped for a day after a 50-tonne steel rafter fell from the roof of the stadium.

'Carry on working'

The GMB union said its members had been told they were being laid off because there was not enough money to pay wages.

National officer Tom Kelly said: "We have instructed out members to carry on working normally until we have an opportunity to resolve the matter.

"The stadium is not finished and someone will have to employ our members to finish the job."

Frank Westerman, of Amicus, said: "We have advised our members to work normally while we try to resolve who is going to employ them and ensure that they will be paid."

Last week, Australian firm Multiplex also said work to repair underground sewer pipes would not affect the completion deadline for the stadium.

Pipes running beneath the 90,000-seater arena in north-west London have buckled due to ground movement.

Multiplex is due to give an update on the progress of the project.

I am sure it will be a great venue. When it is finished. Didn't all great architectual masterpieces get long delays? Like Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. They say it will never be finished? So don't let us get selfish. We all think about ourselves and the tickets we do have in hand for the Stones. But when the stadium is finished and England is beating Germany 3-0 in an friendly opening game there I am sure all these delays will be long forgotten.

PS. An example of something great still not finished:
[www.sagradafamilia.org]

Bjornulf

Hope it doesnt take quite as log as the Sagrada Familia to finish


Guell - Mr Gaudi why are there stone flowers on top of the Church? No one will see them?

Gaudi- Ah yes,but God will see them !

Following on from BV's positive outlook, on all things Wembley,
have a look at Sir Norman Foster's (its Architect)
views on the delays/problems etc.


[observer.guardian.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-28 16:40 by Adrian-L.

it aint gonna happen folks!

in my opinion at least

andy js Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > it aint gonna happen folks!
>
> in my opinion at least


Not lookin' good I'll have to admit !

what are the bookmakers odds?

Well people I was just driving home from work and listening to the radio, and they had one of the Project Managers on and he pretty much confirmed that it won't be ready until August!

Ironically this would mean that the guys would be the first band but they could me early August or late August. We need to know, I have tickets for the first show and I just hope things are ready in time.

New conspiracy theory:

M Jagger and K Richards in secret deal with Multiplex to f*** up the building work intermittently so that Bon Jovi CAN'T play the first show at the new Wmbley - but the STONES can !!

Aha, whadya fink o dat ?

I would not be listening to anything the project manager says as they seem to change the opening date every month.

paulywaul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> New conspiracy theory:
>
> M Jagger and K Richards in secret deal with
> Multiplex to f*** up the building work
> intermittently so that Bon Jovi CAN'T play the
> first show at the new Wmbley - but the STONES can
> !!
>
> Aha, whadya fink o dat ?


Multiplex are Aussies - and Mick is part Australian, so ya never know

i've never known any football stadium take this long to build EVER

what the @#$%& are they playing at ?


i'll be bastard retired before i get to watch a game there

or dead if i have to wait for my own team Villa to get back there ;o)

shoulda got the Japanese to do it....remember how they built all those new stadiums for the 2002 World Cup? Think they did about 6-7 new stadiums for a fraction of the price of this ONE.

All this talk about it being the best in the world when it IS ready is one thing. With all this ballsing about, I now expect and demand not only the best view possible from my seat, but to be able to adjust the temperature in the stadium from a remote control switch beside me and to be constantly plied with premium wines and beers throughout the event by naked Amazonian goddesses who will also insist on satisfying my every evil sexual whim throughout the evening and afterwards until I collapse from exhaustion.

I think its only fair.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-28 21:13 by Gazza.

I'm sending over a coupla hundred Mexicans. It'll be done in 2 weeks.

Gazza Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> shoulda got the Japanese to do it....remember how
> they built all those new stadiums for the 2002
> World Cup? Think they did about 6-7 new stadiums
> for a fraction of the price of this ONE.
>
> All this talk about it being the best in the world
> when it IS ready is one thing. With all this
> ballsing about, I now expect and demand not only
> the best view possible from my seat, but to be
> able to adjust the temperature in the stadium from
> a remote control switch beside me and to be
> constantly plied with premium wines and beers
> throughout the event by naked Amazonian goddesses
> who will also insist on satisfying my every evil
> sexual whim throughout the evening and afterwards
> until I collapse from exhaustion.
>
> I think its only fair.
>
>
>
> Edited 1 times. Last edit at 03/28/06 21:13 by
> Gazza.

Blimey

You're getting to be a bit demanding are you not ?

Well, by comparison MY demands are modest. ALL I actually want is to be able see the Rolling f***ing Stones from my block A5 row 3 seat on 20th August and block A5 row 1 seat on the 22nd. If I manage to do that and survive the experiences, then I'll gladly enter into negotiations with any amazonian goddesses in the immediate vicinity that are both willing and able and clutching a bottle of chilled white into the bargain. Anywhere'll do me ........... my place, her place, car park, under a tree, up a tree, IN a tree, wherever ??

I notice that you will be sitting in a similar vicinity to me both evenings

If things go to plan, I shall get one of my minions to send one of the aforementioned naked goddesses over to your seat with not only a bottle of the finest Chateauneuf de Pape but a large bottle of baby oil - with my compliments.

Enjoy the show!

LOLGazza will your naked goddess entertain three...LOL? At Wembley one I am right up there A5 row one. I could certainly never impose and ask you and pauly to send her back to row 13 for the second show.

The way things are going though I think we will be lucky to get a Lollipop from a munchkin at Twickenham.

I'll take the Chateauneuf du Pape, but I'm buggered if I'm annointing myself in baby oil whilst trying to jump up and down to JJF at the same time, thanks all the same !!

kahoosier Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LOLGazza will your naked goddess entertain
> three...LOL? At Wembley one I am right up there A5
> row one. I could certainly never impose and ask
> you and pauly to send her back to row 13 for the
> second show.
>
> The way things are going though I think we will be
> lucky to get a Lollipop from a munchkin at
> Twickenham.




"Soggy seconds" for you, Steve!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-28 23:58 by Gazza.

paulywaul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll take the Chateauneuf du Pape, but I'm
> buggered if I'm annointing myself in baby oil
> whilst trying to jump up and down to JJF at the
> same time, thanks all the same !!


no, no, no, thats not what I ...

oh - well, on 2nd thoughts!

Gazza,

Can I have a seat near you? Sounds exhausting !

On second thoughts,no; I don't want to put my back out again !

the aussies are getting even for the english winning the ashes.

The Times, Wednesday March 29, 2006


Wembley pay dispute rumbles on
By John Goodbody



IF THE day ends in a “y”, then there must be another problem at Wembley and this has been the case since 1996, when the site was selected to be the home of England’s new national stadium.

About 120 workers at the 90,000-seat arena, the most expensive in world football, were told yesterday that they would be laid off next week because of a dispute between contractors over pay.



Union officials said that steelworkers, scaffolders and welders have been given notice that their employment will end next Tuesday because subcontractors had not been paid and did not have the funds to underwrite their wages.

Tom Kelly, the national officer of the GMB general union, said: “We have instructed our members to carry on working normally until we have an opportunity to resolve the matter. The stadium is not finished and someone will have to employ our members to finish the job.”

A spokesperson for Multiplex, the Australian company that is the main contractor to build the arena, said: “This is an issue between Hollandier [the steel subcontractor] and Fast Track Site Services [which provides the labour] and affects around 120 of our workers.

“We are looking to Hollandier for continuity of works and have just met with the shop stewards, who have given Multiplex an assurance that they will continue to work while Hollandier discuss the issues with Fast Track.”

So for the third time within eight days, there are renewed fears that the arena will not be ready for the FA Community Shield on August 13. Last month, the FA abandoned hopes of the venue being ready for its scheduled opening, the FA Cup Final on May 13.

Last night's London Evening Standard front page headline : 'WEMBLEY JINX STRIKES AGAIN'........workers laid off in row over pay. Hundreds of workers are being laid off because of a dispute betweeen contractors over pay, union officals said steelworkers, scaffolders and welders have been given notice that their contracts will be terminated next Tuesday because sub-contractors have not been paid.
The article rambles on about the cost of the stadium and how the opening date has been put back three times and goes on to say 'Twickenham Stadium has been put on standby to host concerts by Bon Jovi on 10 June and Take That two weeks later'.

I know you can't always(ever?) believe what you read in the Press but if this is true then Twickenham will definitely have run out of music licences come August....!

<<<<<<<<<< I know you can't always(ever?) believe what you read in the Press but if this is true then Twickenham will definitely have run out of music licences come August....! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Which realistically means that this much discussed notion that 2 x Wembley is likely to be replaced by 3 x Twickers is a load of $%&#@# and has f*** all chance of happening ! Don't we just LOVE all this excitement ? So where in and around London ARE the Rolling Stones gonna in fact play to some 160,000 Wembley ticket holders IF this sodding stadium isn't ready for 20th August ? Ideas ?

it can only be Hyde Park x2
...i can't see any other option

(if they're going to stick to the late-August timetable)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-29 13:17 by Adrian-L.

Adrian-L Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> it can only be Hyde Park x2
> ...i can't see any other option
>
> (if they're going to stick to the late-August
> timetable)
>
>
>
> Edited 1 times. Last edit at 03/29/06 13:17 by
> Adrian-L.


While I do like the idea of seeing the Stones at Hyde Park, how would it work? I mean, I take it there won't be seating? There were several different ticket prices for the Wembley gigs so how would they sort it?

Big Al Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I do like the idea of seeing the Stones at
> Hyde Park, how would it work? I mean, I take it
> there won't be seating? There were several
> different ticket prices for the Wembley gigs so
> how would they sort it?


I've no idea- it would have to be an 'open field' type show,
(there are no other London Stadia capable of holding the numbers of tickets already sold)
but of course, that would involve, at the very least, a partial refund for approx 140,000 Wembley ticket holders.
The logistics of that, seem impractical, to say the least...

that's why i think they'll have to cancel/reschedule,
for when Wembley is finished.
Either summer of '07 (which Bv has categorically dismissed),
or even Winter 06- don't forget Wembley will have a roof.

The only other stadium that comes close in London is Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium which is due to be ready for the 06/07 football season and has a capacity of 60,000+. Still loads of logistical problems to switch though.....

I would've thought it MORE likely that they reschedule as opposed to cancelling. London is big draw and no way would they not play they're hometown. They'd have reschedule like they did during the Bridges tour.