Royal dog-sitter blockaded by unions
Members of a far-left trade union have launched a blockade of a dog daycare centre in Stockholm used by Princess Madeleine. The union claims that a woman at the centre of the row was being paid just 27 kronor an hour - the owner claims that the woman had never worked for her.
Carla Köncke, owner of the dog-sitting business in Stockholm's exclusive Östermalm district, turned up to work on Monday to find the group of scruffily-dressed trade unionists blocking her and her customers from entering her premises.
Among those who have used Köncke's services in the past are Princess Madeleine and her dog, Zorro.
The protesters, members of the Syndicalist movement, said that one of their members, a woman in her thirties, had been paid just 27 kronor an hour, and had been left along with the dogs for eleven hours a day.
"They are breaking so many labour laws that I've lost count," said union spokesman Ruben Tastas-Duque to newspaper Expressen.
Köncke, however, said that the woman was never her employee.
"She is a friend of my mother's who used to come here sometimes for a bit of social interaction and to learn Swedish. She helped out like friends do," she said.
Police were called to the scene during the morning and dispersed the demonstrators. Köncke reported the demonstrators for harassment, saying she had been shoved.
Homepage photo: Charles Hammarsten/ Copyright: IBL/ imagebank.sweden.se
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Carla Köncke, owner of the dog-sitting business in Stockholm's exclusive Östermalm district, turned up to work on Monday to find the group of scruffily-dressed trade unionists blocking her and her customers from entering her premises.
Among those who have used Köncke's services in the past are Princess Madeleine and her dog, Zorro.
The protesters, members of the Syndicalist movement, said that one of their members, a woman in her thirties, had been paid just 27 kronor an hour, and had been left along with the dogs for eleven hours a day.
"They are breaking so many labour laws that I've lost count," said union spokesman Ruben Tastas-Duque to newspaper Expressen.
Köncke, however, said that the woman was never her employee.
"She is a friend of my mother's who used to come here sometimes for a bit of social interaction and to learn Swedish. She helped out like friends do," she said.
Police were called to the scene during the morning and dispersed the demonstrators. Köncke reported the demonstrators for harassment, saying she had been shoved.
Homepage photo: Charles Hammarsten/ Copyright: IBL/ imagebank.sweden.se
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