HM The Queen will become the first British Monarch ever to be the subject of industrial action after PCS union members voted to ‘work to rule’ over a pay dispute. The union claims staff at Windsor Castle are paid as little as £14,700 a year and will no longer exceed their contracted work until the matter is resolved.
The 900-year-old castle has never been the backdrop to a dispute of this kind and for many years there were no trade unions at any Royal Palace. However, this did not stop 84 percent of unionised wardens voting in favour of refusing to help out with tasks such as tours, speaking foreign languages and administering first aid.
The PCS said 76 out of 180 wardens will now refuse to conduct tours of the Great Kitchen and the Tower and will instead ‘work to rule’. This means they will rigidly stick to their contractual obligations.
They say the Royal Family is the “richest family in the country” and can afford to pay them properly. They are, however, technically employed by the Royal Collection Trust, a charity that looks after the Queen’s collection of art.
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka told the Press Association: “These loyal workers are the public face of Windsor Castle and with this vote their message to their employer is loud and clear. Staff should be properly rewarded for their commitment to ensuring visitors from around the world can fully enjoy their time at the castle.”
A Royal Collection Trust spokesman told Breitbart London: “While the outcome of the ballot is disappointing, it will have no effect on services to visitors to the castle. Royal Collection Trust has since last year been exploring ways to achieve an agreed level of pay for all warden staff.
“Conversations that are part of the annual pay review process are still ongoing and an offer to expand the salary scale for a warden, starting at the Regional Living Wage of £14,695 for new joiners, has been put to PCS and other unions.”