British royals face industrial action

March 30, 2015 09:39 pm | Updated March 31, 2015 05:20 am IST - London

The British royal family faces industrial action over by staff at the Windsor Castle, the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents 120 out of its 200 staff, announced on Monday. The union will be balloted for strike action between March 21 and April 14.

The first such action specific to the Royal Households, it “comes after years of pay restraint have left loyal workers paid below the widely-recognised living wage, with new recruits starting on as little as £14,400 a year,” the union stated.

The staff is expected to perform unpaid duties in addition, like giving tours of the castle – even though visitors must pay for this – and acting as interpreters and helping in medical emergencies.

Short of a strike, the union will withdraw these “goodwill” services the union has said.

The union claim’s that it accepted an “unsatisfactory” pay offer for 2014 was reluctantly accepted, and only on the understanding that additional allowances would be considered this year. However, the management has refused to pay allowances for additional duties this year too.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "These workers are loyal to their employer and absolutely committed to ensuring visitors are given the royal treatment.

"It is scandalous that staff are so appallingly paid and expected to do work for free that brings in money for the royal family."

Windsor Castle lays claim to being a “working castle” and the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the

world. It is an official residence of the Queen, who spends most of her private weekends there, and takes up official residence for a month over Easter (March to Run by the Royal Collection Trust, it attracts 1.1 million visitors each year, who spend more than £17 million, which is used by the Royal Collection Trust charity for the upkeep of the royal palaces.

In a statement, the Royal Collection Trust said that warden staff – distinct from employees of the Royal

Household – are give “voluntary opportunities” to receive training and develop skills to lead guided tours for visitors as part of their working day and to administer first aid, as well as to use their language skills. These are not compulsory. The Trust also claimed that the wardens are paid “above market median based upon the Regional Living Wage” and receive a range of benefits, including a 15 per cent non-contributory pension and a free lunch, besides an annual performance-related pay increase of up to 2.5 per cent.

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