Guards at the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum are planning strike action from 17 to 21 January in protest over ‘stagnant pay’. The union behind the planned action, United Voices of the World (UVW), says that about 100 of its members work as security guards at the three museums who are employed by the external contractor Wilson James.
A UVW statement says: “Security guards at the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and V&A Museum are striking after years of stagnant pay and real-terms pay cuts and have already taken strike action over 16 days. They are demanding £16 an hour, sick pay from day one, and an additional week of annual leave.” The union previously organised strikes at the London museums earlier this year and also on 21 December.
UVW has urged the public to support its members by not visiting the museums while the next strike is on. Petros Elia, the UVW general secretary, told The Observer: “Wilson James pay huge sums to their executives and pay those at the bottom a pittance. We would urge the public not to go to the museums during strike days and donate towards our strike fund, so that workers are not forced to go back to work.”
A Wilson James spokesperson says: “We offer competitive compensation and are committed to transparent negotiations with our recognised unions. While we acknowledge the demands put forward by UVW, we are seeking a resolution that balances fair pay with the need to remain financially responsible. As a ‘Recognised Service Provider’ by the Living Wage Foundation, we continue to work to ensure that pay for our security colleagues remains reflective of the circumstances… While we respect the right to strike, we remain confident that we will continue to deliver excellent service to the museums and their visitors throughout this period of industrial action.”
