Award-winning gardeners at Regent’s Park have gone on strike as they are being paid less than their colleagues in other Royal Parks, their union has said.
Regent's Park garden staff walked out on Thursday for 24 hours in anger as they face the “ugly prospect of being priced out of their own city”.
Workers employed by private contractor Idverde took part in the strike action and a picket line was set up on the park’s boundary.
Staff at Regent’s Park were handed the prestigious British Association of Landscape Industries award for their work last year.
The GMB Union called on Idverde and the Royal Parks to “recognise and value these skilled workers and give them the pay rise they deserve”.
GMB organiser Anna Lee said: “These highly skilled gardeners have won several awards for their work over the past few years.
“It’s a shame their employer Idverde and the Royal Parks do not recognise it and pay them a pittance – less than colleagues working in other parks.
"They maintain these grounds for the benefit of all Londoners, but they now face the ugly prospect of being priced out of their own city.”
A spokesperson for Idverde said it was “disappointed” by the strike action.
They added: “We continue with open, cordial and constructive discussions with colleagues and are still hopeful of a workable resolution.”
A Royal Parks spokesperson said: “All staff working on The Royal Parks’ outsourced grounds maintenance contracts and its other major outsourced contracts are paid, as a minimum, the London Living Wage.
“Other than this, the terms and conditions of staff employed by those contractors are decided by their employers. The only exception to this is fixed-term apprentices, who are paid National Living Wage while studying for a Level 2 qualification.”
