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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Luke O'Reilly

Harrods security staff set to go on first ever strike in luxury department store's history

Harrods (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

Security staff at the Harrods store in London have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite backed strikes by 97 per cent on an 84 per cent turnout.

Around 70 workers are involved in the dispute - with the strike set to be first ever such action at the store.

The union said a below-inflation pay offer had been imposed on the workers and that they were being required to do unpaid work.

Harrods is one of London's most recognisable stores (Getty Images)

Unite regional officer Balvinder Bir said: “The stonking majority in favour of strike action underlines our members’ strength of feeling on these issues."

Unite has offered Harrods one final opportunity to meet their demands before they go on strike

Harrods have said that they will "trade as normal" during any strike action.

"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 now voted to strike" the store said in a press statement.

Harrods was formerly owned by the Fayed brothers, who bought it in 1985 as part of their acquisition of House of Fraser. In 2010 it was sold to Qatar Holdings, the sovereign wealth fund of the middle eastern nation.

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