Shakespeare's Globe is a full-scale recreation of an
Elizabethan playhouse
Tour guides at Shakespeare's Globe in London are to take
industrial action after talks to resolve a pay dispute broke
down.
The Bectu union said industrial action was "the only option
left open" and that strike dates would be publicised to avoid
inconveniencing visitors.
According to The Stage, 38 tour guides at the venue are Bectu
members.
A Globe spokeswoman told the paper the venue had "made all
reasonable efforts to avert industrial action".
According to The Stage, tour guides had been seeking a pay
increase that would have raised their hourly rate from £11.24
to £13.50 an hour.
The two parties met at Acas - the Advisory, Conciliation and
Arbitration Service - earlier this month but were unable to
reach agreement.
"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."
The Globe's representative is quoted as saying that audio
guides will be made available on days when there is a strike.
The news follows an announcement on Tuesday that workers
at the Royal Opera House in London are to vote on whether to
take strike action over pay.
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