HM Queen Elizabeth

[PHXPhlyer]

King Charles' staff told during queen’s mourning period that they could lose their jobs
The decision is “nothing short of heartless,” one of Britain's leading labor unions said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/quee ... -rcna47664

LONDON — Dozens of household staff who served King Charles III while he was heir to Britain’s throne have been told they could lose their jobs, according to one of the United Kingdom’s leading labor unions, which called the move “heartless.”

Charles, who succeeded his mother on her death last Thursday, and Camilla, the queen consort, will be moving to the monarch’s main official residence, Buckingham Palace. That means the royal couple will be leaving Clarence House, Charles' London home and office for decades.

As a result, the Public and Commercial Services Union said in a statement, up to 100 employees “including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs following his accession to the throne.”

“We believe the decision to announce redundancies in the Royal Household during the period of national mourning is nothing short of heartless,” the statement said.

“This is a significant majority of the household and many of these staff will be the same people who have so diligently supported the new king during this period of mourning, working extremely hard over recent days only to be given redundancy notices as thanks,” it added.

Mark Serwotka, the union’s general secretary, said in a statement that the “scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme.”

He said that some of the changes across the royal households were to be expected. Calling for an “immediate halt to the redundancy process,” he added that it was unclear what staffing Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, would need.

It is unclear if William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will want to move their young family from their current home, Adelaide Cottage, in Windsor.

Clarence House’s annual review published earlier this year said that Charles employed the full-time equivalent of 101 staff, including 31 in the private secretaries’ office, 30 in the treasurer’s department, as well as chefs, house managers, dressers, valets, butlers and a communications team.

The Guardian newspaper, which originally reported the story, said that some of the staff were given notice that their jobs were in jeopardy during the thanksgiving service for the queen at Edinburgh’s St. Giles' Cathedral on Monday.

NBC News has not verified the report.
A Clarence House spokesman told Reuters that operations there had ceased and a consultation process with staff over redundancies had begun.

“Our staff have given long and loyal service and while some redundancies will be unavoidable, we are working urgently to identify alternative roles for the greatest possible number of staff,” he said.

The spokesman added that the law required staff to be made aware of the situation at the earliest opportunity.

“Despite every effort to delay until after the funeral, the advice remained the same,” he said. “Any staff being made redundant will be offered enhanced redundancy payments.”

No staff would be affected for at least three months, he added.

Clarence House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News about the timing of the redundancies or how many people would lose their jobs.

PP

[G-CPTN]

The redundancies are inevitable (due to the necessary changes).

UK employment laws require employers to give notice of expected redundancies.

However, I question whether a week or ten days delay would have 'broken the bank' with the staff having to be paid during the disputed period.

Some employees would be grateful for the information, giving them extra time to search for alternative employment or not commit themselves to anything that would subsequently be non-viable.

Of course, someone would have worked out the situation and started rumours.

[Rossian]

I'm getting the impression that big organisations are tin eared and can't decide things without some other "agency" telling them what to do. EG, center parcs telling everyone they have to get out on Monday and come back again 24 hours later?? having to retract and end up looking stupid; EG stopping operations for folk suffering pain and in need of a replacement hip, or whatever and asking for "directions" from someone else. You are the management, DECIDE, it's what you're paid to do. EG Decide to tell folks that they will be made redundant from the royal household during the period of mourning for the queen?? Cloth-eared or what? Don't they think??

The Ancient Mariner

[G-CPTN]

Excuse me, but isn't (wasn't) Clarence House the office of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall?
Prince William is now Prince of Wales, and will, presumably, need to manage the Duchy affairs?

I believe that there is a provision in UK law for a new management to take on employee liabilities from a previous function.

Why the need to close-down the Clarence House function when facilities will be needed for Prince William?

[FD2]

Yes - *TUPE - which has caused more than a few problems with North Sea helicopter company employees over the years as contracts change hands. In this case it will be argued that they are doing the same jobs for the succeeding Duke/employer but it's complicated because I thought William was going to move to Windsor Castle, or has moved to the small cottage they are in on the Windsor estate.

There's a lot to be decided but I hope this is just a legal measure to begin with in case any people really do need to be 'let go' (that awful modern euphemism - wonder where it came from?). It just strikes me that it has been used by the unions as a stick to beat Charles with at the moment, in a period of union strike activity elsewhere.

*TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). A 'TUPE transfer' happens when: an organisation, or part of it, is transferred from one employer to another. a service is transferred to a new provider, for example when another company takes over the contract for office cleaning.

[G-CPTN]

Thanks, FD2.

[FD2]

Sad to say it seldom worked as there were all sorts of dodges on the part of the new contractors to get around it and any who were taken on from the previous contract were usually on lower pay, pension provisions and status.

There's a lot to be decided over the next few weeks and months about who lives where and when they may move house etc so I hope this is just a legal formality, just in case anyone needs to be 'let go'.

There have been the usual snipes from ignorant left wing 'academics' about the Queen - no hesitation for the sake of decency - so here is the ever reliable Douglas Murray's response to them:

[FD2]

There may be another explanation though. Charles (it doesn't trip off the tongue after a near lifetime of referring to 'The Queen', to say 'The King' yet) and William have had a long time to discuss Charles' openly touted ideas about modernising the Monarchy and slimming it down. That may not just entail exiling Andrew to Foula and Harry likewise to California but may also encompass the excess staff. Harry has gone and his staff likewise. The Queen likewise so what to do with her staff? Sad that many of them have given many years of good service but I suspect that Charles has some serious slimlining plans up his sleeve. That will play well, but probably not well enough, with some of the republican elements.

[4mastacker]

Oh dear, one of the Royal Company of Archers on the catafalque appears to have fainted and face-planted the floor of Westminster Hall. TV coverage stopped for a short while.

[Opsboi]

Oh dear, one of the Royal Company of Archers on the catafalque appears to have fainted and face-planted the floor of Westminster Hall. TV coverage stopped for a short while.

Hope he's not on Chuck's payroll, otherwise bang goes his reference

Liz Truss must be so grateful her first fortnight in office has avoided all scrutiny

The establishment is doing a great job on diverting attention - because the whole nation is sleepwalking into a complete and utter clusterf*ck right now

[G-CPTN]

How many of those guarding the Queen's coffin are female?

How many are black?

[Rossian]

The Royal Company of Archers chaps are not really spring chickens are they? Wealthy but maybe not in the first flush of youth. During the vigil in Embra I thought that one of them was going to pitch forward then. He will never live that down I'm sure and may well resign from the organisation.

The Ancient Mariner

[TheGreenAnger]

Liz Truss must be so grateful her first fortnight in office has avoided all scrutiny

The establishment is doing a great job on diverting attention - because the whole nation is sleepwalking into a complete and utter clusterf*ck right now

+1

I see very stormy seas ahead.

[Woody]

So much for BA respecting and honouring her late Majesty, received this email today

Now offering enhanced o/t payments to cover the operation over the weekend, which wasn’t offered earlier this year when Joe Public was having flights cancelled all over the network.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Any comments on Prince Willie's RAF cap ?

[G-CPTN]

Charles is the outgoing Prince of Wales.
I wonder how much Welsh language he retains?
Was his day off yesterday so that he could be tutored to refresh his memory?

Will William undergo a crash course in Welsh before he is allowed to appear in Wales?

Personally, I think that Harry should be PoW - and be sent out to govern (New South) Wales.

[Pinky the pilot]

I think that Harry should be PoW - and be sent out to govern (New South) Wales.

Although speaking as a 'Croweater', (South Australian) I doubt very much if the people of NSW would want him as Governor!

[Opsboi]

Personally, I think that Harry should be PoW .

He can be a bit of a prat, but making him a prisoner of war is a bit over the top

[Ex-Ascot]

I am sure that HRH The Prince of Wales will learn Welsh in pretty quick time. I wouldn't surprise me if he started ages ago knowing what he destiny was going to be.

Wonder when the Investiture will be. After the Coronation no doubt.

[k3k3]

HRH The Prince of Wales will have had plenty of chances to pick up some Welsh while he was at Valley.