Game of Thrones producers shell out £10 million per episode, but some of its workers are on poverty pay.
Security officers on the set of hit TV show Game of Thrones are currently involved in a heated pay dispute after “measly” pay rise 8p an hour.
Workers for the security giant G4S saw their pension contributions rise this year by 1%. Hourly rates for security officers have since gone from 55p above the minimum wage, to just 30p over.
But when a pay rise was asked from the the employer – the Northern Irish Game of Thrones production company – the offer couldn’t even offset the cost.
The affected security personnel, represented by the GMB union, are now rejecting the offer and demanding a meaningful raise in pay.
GMB union organiser, Michael Mulholland, said:
“It’s an insult. Game Of Thrones is the highest grossing TV series in the world and they are paying nothing more than poverty wages.
“If they can afford spend £1 million on a purpose built castle for series eight, they can afford to give our members a proper pay rise.”
Mulholland could not escape riffing off one of the show’s most famous lines, adding:
“If they think this offer is acceptable – they know nothing.”
The national minimum wage is currently £7.83 an hour.
G4S is yet to contact GMB on the pay rise dispute. The union has not been involved in any form of negotiation yet either.
Joana Ramiro is a reporter for Left Foot Forward. You can follow her on Twitter for all sorts of rants here.
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 117 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.