Workers at the charity that runs Brighton Pavilion cut short strike action last week after receiving a verbal revised pay offer.
Members of GMB union at the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust (RPMT) planned to take three days of industrial action last week but stopped after the first day due to the offer being made.
A spokesperson for RPMT said: “We can confirm that an offer has been made to GMB and last week’s strike action has been suspended while union members consider the proposal.
“We welcome this development and remain committed to working constructively with staff and union representatives.”
GMB, whose members at RPMT previously took strike action for two days in April, called on the charity to bring forward its next trustee board meeting so the new offer could be formalised.
Oliver Cruikshank, GMB regional organiser, said: “Following a positive meeting with RPMT management, GMB members were prepared to suspend their scheduled industrial action last Thursday and Friday.
“The deal needs ironing out and agreeing, as our members can only vote on a concrete, written offer.
“With this in mind, we urge the board of trustees to call an emergency meeting to formalise the offer, as the dispute will not be over until everything is fully agreed and voted for by all members.”
Split from council
The dispute centres around terms and conditions, with the affected staff having been transferred from Brighton & Hove City Council when the charity was created in 2020 but retaining their local government contracts.
While the charity has proposed changes to the contracts, GMB members want to retain their access to pay, annual leave and other contractual rights afforded to them under their current deals.
The charity has also disputed claims made by GMB that it faces potential bankruptcy but said a contract negotiation was necessary as a five-year funding agreement with the council was coming to an end.
RPMT has seen its income grow in recent years but has recorded operating deficits, with an income of £9.26m and expenditure of £9.88m recorded in the year to March 2025.
Overall, the charity employed 222 people in 2024-25, paying £6.18m in staff costs.
