Staff at the National Gallery will strike again this week over the dismissal of a senior union representative, as part of long-running dispute over privatisation plans.
Candy Udwin, who is a senior representative at the Public and Commercial Services Union, was formally dismissed on Friday following a disciplinary hearing. She had been suspended on the eve of the first strikes in February.
The union has said that it believes the sacking to be “a clear case of victimisation and a direct attempt to undermine our union and we will fight it every step of the way”.
It has reported that the case against her was that “she shared information about the use of a private security firm with her full-time union official and asked him to take up the matter with the gallery - something she had every right to do on a matter of such strong public interest”.
The strikes centre round the privatisation of visitor services, including the assistants who look after and advise visitors about the artworks.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "This is an utterly disgraceful decision that we will fight with every means at our disposal and Candy has our full support.
"It has been clear from the start that victimising Candy has been a direct attack on our union and it is absolutely shocking to think that one of this country's finest cultural institutions could act in such a way."
Union members will hold 11 days of strikes, on Wednesday 20 May and between Tuesday 26 May and Thursday 4 June. This is in addition to 23 days of strikes that have already taken place this year.
The union is also planning a national demonstration against the sell-off plan on Saturday 30 May on the gallery’s doorstep in Trafalgar Square.
A petition against the privatisation at the National Gallery, started ten months ago on campaign site 38 Degrees by PCS members, has now received almost 44,000 signatures.
In a statement released today, the National Gallery said that many education events have had to be cancelled as a result of the strikes. It said: "To date, more than 5,000 schoolchildren have had their trips to the Gallery cancelled as a result of these strikes - with many more families set to be disappointed as this latest strike coincides with the school half term holiday."
The statement continued: "The PCS opposes the introduction of a new roster for some visitor-facing and security staff which would enable us to operate more flexibly. In conjunction with the new roster we also proposed not only to meet the London Living Wage, but to pay a basic salary in excess of it.
"As a result of the PCS position, we are now appointing an external partner to manage these services. Affected staff will transfer across; there will be no job cuts and terms and conditions will be protected."
"We believe the proposed changes are essential to enable us to deliver an enhanced service to our 6 million annual visitors for many years to come, and to remain as one of the world’s leading art galleries. It is unfortunate the PCS union do not share this aspiration with us."
PCS are describing the privatisation as “a first for any major gallery or museum in the country”, however in previous statements the National Gallery has said it is one of the last major national UK museums to make this step.
The National Gallery has said it never comments on disciplinary matters relating to individual staff whilst they are on-going, as"they are confidential matters between those involved and the National Gallery".
