Curtain comes down on poverty wages at the Royal Opera House
Cleaners and porters working at the world famous Royal Opera House in Covent Garden have hit a high note and finally won their battle to secure the London living wage.
The workers employed by the sub-contractor Mitie, who were earning just £7.00 an hour, got a 26 per cent pay increase thanks to Unite. From 1 April 2014 around 50 porters and cleaners will get the London living wage of £8.80.
The London living wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The living wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in London and employers choose to pay the living wage on a voluntary basis.
Unite regional officer Carolyn Simpson said:
“The curtain has come down on poverty wages at the Royal Opera House. It's astounding that we had to fight for workers at one of the world's most prestigious venues just to get them a living wage.
“The world's elite can pay hundreds of pounds for a ticket but the bosses resisted paying cleaners and porters the bare minimum it takes to get by in London.
“The cleaners and porters at the Royal Opera House deserve this boost in pay and we are happy that they have also recently secured trade union recognition through their union Unite.”
