There is a revolution taking place in the European parliament. Over the price of salad. The canteen has changed the rules so people have to pay by weight rather than size. And it has sent everyone, in the words of one insider, "batshit crazy".
The rule change has led to calls for a "#saladrevolution" in the heart of the European Union and is being organised in an email chain sent to all 6,000 people who work in the parliament.
"Dear Colleagues," one official wrote. "Today, as most of the week days, I went to have lunch at our charming canteen. And what I found out to my great astonishment is that my usual salad costs three times more than it used to be before Easter. I repeat, three times! (used to be 2,10 now it was over 6 euros)."
"I am completely mesmerised finding out that paying three times the price of the regular salad, is part of a campaign on reducing food wastage in the EP. Looking around I see a number of posters aiming at triggering our feelings and guilt about wasting food by paying our salad at only 2euros 10 cents!!!!"
Parliament administrators explained that the objective of the measures was to reduce the waste of healthy, edible food by approximately 20% by the end of the current calendar year.
The change in the rules has sparked a fierce backlash, with one person complaining that the price rise was unfair given the "quite bad surprises" they had experienced in the canteen in the past.
Another official chipped in: "The guys and ladies working there are absolutely nice & professional, but the food is definitely expensive for how it tastes (except from the GRILL=EXPENSIVE), and they are now checking the weight of the eggs as well, together with the sauce (!!!)."
And of course one Ukip official is convinced European Union regulations are behind the price hike. "It is merely food price inflation due to the Common Agricultural Policy and all the EU health and safety at work regulatory burden, and the Greens (political, not salad), agenda to make us tread lightly on the earth and preserve our future heritage."
The official adds, presumably dripping with sarcasm,:" We should be grateful that the Commission rules over us so wisely, and helps us to conserve our resources by increasing prices."
One more environmentally minded official chipped in: "I would suggest going further and introducing a system of penalties, increasing drastically the price of the salad for those who do not come to the office by bicycle, do not turn off the water when brushing their teeth, do not properly sort their garbage, and keep using disposable plastic bags for their shopping or throw-away diapers for their babies' poo."
Not all of the 6,000 parliament employees were so happy to be included on the #saladrevolution thread. "P.S. SPAM on the menu today!" said one.
This could turn nasty. Quickly.