Olympics grievance protocol agreed

A protocol to deal with workers’ grievances that arise during the London Olympics has been agreed between the TUC, conciliation service Acas and the organising committee responsible for the games, LOCOG. The aim is for such problems to be dealt with fairly and speedily with minimal disruption to the games.

The agreement was prompted by the experiences at previous Olympics and the World Cup, where labour disputes sometimes caused disruption. It will cover all LOCOG’s workforce on site, including the 70,000 volunteers, but will not override any existing negotiating agreements such as those in the transport and security parts of the operation.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “It’s inevitable with an event this size that day-to-day practical problems will occur, and it’s in all our interests to ensure they are dealt with promptly to avoid stress amongst staff and wider disruption to the games.”

Acas chair Ed Sweeney said his organisation would “fast track any issues that arise to get our staff involved without delay, both in the lead up to and during the games.”

The TUC and LOCOG agreed principles of co-operation in 2008.