Students in Glastonbury wages row
PORTSMOUTH students hired by a security firm for Glastonbury Festival say they are owed more than £10,000 in unpaid wages.
Defensa Security Ltd, based in Portchester, owe about 20 students from the University of Portsmouth between 450 and 700 each for their work at the five-day event.
The international students say they paid for tents, clothing and food to work at the music festival between June 22 and 27.
But months on the hard-up group are still waiting for payment.
Some wanted to use the money for rent while others were relying on it to extend their visas to stay in the country, or to travel back home during the summer.
Nnaemeka Umeh, who has just graduated with a BSC in network engineering, said: 'This has crippled a lot of people. We are students, we don't have a lot of money and it is part-time jobs like this that we rely on.
'We were hoping that when we came back from the festival we would be paid. I had to agree an overdraft with my bank because I was relying on that money to pay the rent.
'I am owed 432. It was hard work and we were working 8am to 8pm in the heat.'
The 26-year-old, of Clive Road, Kingston, says that whenever he contacts Julie Quinton, one of the directors of Defensa, he is met with a barrage of excuses.
The fed-up group initially contacted The News on August 4 and Mrs Quinton told us that all of them would be paid on August 14.
But the students are still waiting for their cash.
Hilary Ezeh, who is in his final year studying MSC in risk management, is owned 502 from the company.
He said: 'I can't pay my rent and there is nothing I can do.
'I have explained to my landlady what the situation is and I have to find two month's rent by the end of the month.'
Mrs Quinton claims that following a dispute with a building firm the court decided to place a freezing order on Defensa, for failing to pay for building work.
She said: 'The building company did some work for us we were not happy with so we did not pay them, they went to court and put a freezing order on us.
'We are trying to get this resolved but it is a long process.
'I can't access any money whatsoever.'
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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