Volunteering - how to see the Olympics for free
A union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association has lifted the lid on volunteering for the 2012 Olympics. It is objecting because South-West Trains is preventing its staff volunteering by not accepting requests for leave over the next 18 months, leave which could be used to volunteer at the 2012 Olympics. By the time the company accepts leave applications the window for applying to be a volunteer will have closed.
However, the union has highlighted that volunteering at London 2012 does bring fringe benefits for sports fans.
The union's general secretary, Gerry Doherty, said he was consulting lawyers to see if the ban could be lifted by way of a legal challenge.
He said: "Volunteers will not only be part of the biggest sporting event in their lifetime but they will also probably save themselves more than £1,000 in ticket costs by having free access to the events they are involved in."
So that's 70,000 odd potential customers looking to save themselves something like £70million!
Submitted by Julian Cheyne on Wed, 04/08/2010 - 03:02.
Blog | London 2012 | Railways
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Volunteering - how to not see the Olympics for free
Getting to watch events is definitely NOT one of the 'fringe benefits' volunteers can expect to get.
They get a uniform, free transport within London and refreshments vouchers. Many will be doing things like hanging around all day in railway stations giving people directions - great way for train company workers to spend their holidays!
The London 2012 volunteers fact sheet stresses:
"You will not get free tickets or back stage passes.
No staff or volunteers get free tickets."
This Telegraph article points out "Not that watching the Olympics is something volunteers can necessarily count on being able to do. A job as an Olympics volunteer is not merely a trackside ticket to the 100m final, or a licence to carry Andy Murray’s bags; more likely, it’ll be checking tickets at Greenwich Park, aiding spectators at Eton Dorney, greeting dignitaries at their hotels."
Good luck to Gerry Doherty and his legal challenge though - it would be hilarious if the transport system ground to a halt during the Olympics due to staff shortages, because they were all off being volunteers...