Royal cleaners ask for wedding gift of a living wage

Cleaners in the Royal Household who are paid just £6.45 an hour are asking for a wedding gift of their own - a living wage.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have launched a campaign to increase their pay to the ‘London living wage’ of £7.85 an hour.

The living wage is endorsed by London Mayor Boris Johnson and cleaners in the House of Commons and House of Lords are paid this rate.

The cleaners are employed by two private contractors, KGB Holdings and Greenzone, but the union believes ultimate responsibility for staff rests with the Royal Household, which receives around £30 million a year from taxpayers.

The staff work across the Royal Household including Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Clarence House.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “As the royals prepare to spend millions of pounds on Prince William’s wedding, they’re refusing to insist that the people who keep their palaces clean are paid a living wage.

“The Mayor of London, parliament and other employers agree that workers in London should receive at least £7.85 an hour. The Royal Household can clearly afford this for its cleaning staff.”