// Harrods security guards agree to strike for 5 days
// This came after guards claimed they were being underpaid
// The first strike will take place on February 22
Harrods’ security guards have agreed to take five days of strike action starting later this month in a dispute over pay.
Workers at the luxury department store in Knightsbridge voted by 97 per cent last month to walk out, after stating that they are being underpaid.
The dispute arose after workers were being made to attend a separate office 15 minutes before and after their shifts start.
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Unite the Union said staff should not go unpaid to attend a separate location before they start work and stay behind after their shift.
Once every eight weeks, the guards are made to attend an unpaid “training day” which also forms part of the dispute, the union said.
“Our members are taking strike action as a last resort directly as a result of the management of Harrods refusing to return to the negotiating table and make an improved offer,” Unite regional officer Balvinder Bir said.
“The strike action will inevitably cause disruption to customers at the prestigious store but I hope those affected understand that our members have given the store every opportunity to avoid walkouts.
“Even at this late stage strike action could still be avoided if management make an improved pay offer and end the injustice of forcing workers to work unpaid.”
The first strike will take place on February 22 – to ensure maximum disruption on the busiest shopping day of the week – with further walkouts planned for February 26 and 29, followed by March 4 and 7.
A Harrods spokeswoman said: “Despite almost 12 months of pay talks, which the business has conducted with Unite and its representatives in an open and collaborative manner, Harrods is extremely disappointed and saddened that Unite members within the Harrods Uniformed Security team have voted to strike.”
She added: “Harrods is confident that we will be able to continue to run our operations without disruption to our staff or customers, and will trade as normal during strike action.”
With PA Wires
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