In a conflict that may well make both parties yearn for the days of the guillotine, the Queen of England’s castle staff are threatening to strike writes Gordon Rayner:

• Castle staff say that they start out making salaries as low as £14,400 per year – below living wage.
• Yet they have to perform unpaid duties such as guiding tour groups and working as interpreters.
• The castle attracts over a million visitors a year, generating revenues of £17 million.
• Officials respond that the wages paid are above the market median, and that perks such as free lunches and pension contributions are given to employees.
• Over on Slate Beth Ethier speculates that the timing of the action may have something to do with putting pressure on a Tory government, that is usually seen as pro-Monarchy, and which has just entered into a re-election campaign.

The full article goes into more detail and explains the “work to rule” strike that staff are threatening, the distinction between the tourist facing staff, and the Royal Family’s personal staff, and it gives a glimpse of what it’s like to work in a castle, the history of the dispute and more. Read it here.

Source: The Telegraph, Slate