The security guards at Harrods recently planned a strike for Saturday shifts in the iconic London store. This was following a pay dispute, and both security officers and CCTV operators were due to take part. After talks of renewing contracts with the union, the strike was suspended, and the security team have been encouraged to accept their new pay offer. There were three planned strikes, to take place over the course of a week at the end of February, and two more were set to take place in March.

After reading this news story, there were a few things that came to mind. Firstly, we're not surprised that the management team at Harrods were quick to halt to strikes and come to an agreement with their security officers and CCTV operators. The risk of having an unattended store -- especially one as luxurious and as busy as Harrods -- is no doubt terrifying to the management team. The alternative would be to hire contractors to come in and cover the strike. This would be both expensive and risk in itself, as a new team bought in last minute to cover a strike will be unfamiliar with the store and the perhaps higher risk departments. There's also no guarantee that a security firm would be able to cover a request at such short notice.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that negotiations took place to secure better pay for the security team, which leads us to our next point. We never underestimate the difficult job that our security officers too, and therefore we will always pay above minimum wage. All too often you see security roles advertised for minimum wage, and for us, that shows that either the company doesn't properly appreciate their team, or that they're not willing to invest in quality individuals to represent their company.

A job in security isn't without its risks. It's a trained job, requiring trustworthy and reliable people to represent your company and work, often through the night, to maintain the security of a business or site. There's additional training, more than the required SIA license that we provide to develop our staff and help them in reaching their career goals too. We're a family run business, and our security officers are an extension of that. We never subcontract, and we will never underestimate the incredible job they do and the lasting relationships they build with our clients.

For more information on how we can work with you to provide a quality service at your business, please don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Alternatively, if you're looking to further your career within the security industry, please check the careers section on our website or email us an up to date copy of your C.V. We are currently recruiting across the country, so we look forward to receiving your application and, hopefully, inviting you for interview.

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