Shakespeare Staff On Strike

Tour guides at Shakespeare’s Globe in London are set to go on strike after talks to resolve dispute over pay broke down.

18:33 30 April 2015

Tour guides at Shakespeare’s Globe in London will take industrial action over pay. The Bectu union said it was their only option after talks to resolve dispute over pay broke down. Meanwhile, a Globe spokeswoman said that the venue had “made all reasonable efforts to avert industrial action.”

 

"We had hoped that management would take seriously the opportunity we offered to them to avoid conflict," said Bectu's Pat Styles.

 

"Unfortunately, management representatives failed to grasp this opportunity, preferring instead to first offer our members what was effectively an insulting cut in pay and then refusing to accept various solutions we offered to them."

 

"The Globe maintains that a benchmarking exercise is the only viable means of establishing an appropriate rate of pay for guides that is consistent with our organisational policy to pay at industry median levels," the popular tourist attraction's spokeswoman told The Stage.

 

"We are still open to further consultation... and will in any case be undertaking a salary benchmarking exercise for all Globe staff, including the guides, over the summer as originally planned."