Sunday 26 July 2020

Crown Jewels at Risk

Russian President Putin at the Tower in 2003

By New Worker correspondent

For the first time since Henry VII established the unit in 1485, some of the 37 yeoman warders at the Tower of London, commonly known as Beefeaters, are facing redundancy because of the reduction in tourism due to the coronavirus plague.
John Barnes, CEO of Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which runs the Tower and five other sites, said: “We simply have no choice but to reduce our payroll costs.
“We are heartbroken that it has come to this.”
The 37 Beefeaters live inside the Tower’s grounds with their families, so redundancy means the loss of housing.
The Tower reopened a fortnight ago. Normally 12,000 visitors pass through the Tower but now it can handle less than 1,000 people each day. HRP depends on visitors for 80 per cent of its income and says the closure has created a £98 million shortfall.
Two Beefeaters have taken voluntary redundancy, but it is likely that compulsory redundancies will be enforced. Tourists wanting a photograph with a Beefeater must now stand two metres apart.
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents many of the warders, said the decision was a disgrace, adding: “Our members help guard the Crown Jewels and keep historic royal monuments and premises clean and safe. They should not be paying for the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.”
At time of going to press, Her Majesty had not given her views on the matter.
Last month it was revealed that at another HRP property, Kensington Palace, 75 per cent of the gardeners had been furloughed amidst the coronavirus crisis, which will doubtless ease the terrible financial burden on the Crown.