Harrods faces security guard strike action

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 14, 2020

Security officers and CCTV operators at Harrods have begun to ballot for strike action in a dispute over pay and unpaid work.

The workers, who are members of Unite, said management at the high-end department store imposed a below-inflation pay increase on them rather than return to the negotiating table, after the workforce ‘overwhelmingly’ rejected the initial pay offer.

They also accused management of forcing half an hour of unpaid work every day, as security guards have to arrive 15 minutes early and leave 15 minute late in order to collect and drop off rotas, radio, keys and DNA spray.

If members vote for industrial action, strikes could begin at the famous Knightsbridge store as early as next month.

This is the second controversy surrounding the luxury store, which is owned by the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, since December, when it faced a public backlash for changing its Christmas Grotto policy.

Despite complaints over the £2,000 minimum spend to visit the grotto, Harrods defended the new policy, saying the 170-year old store received an overwhelming number of requests for the experience.

Harrods did not immediately respond to a request for comment.