Strike action at the V&A Museum has been extended to all of the charity’s London sites, a trade union has announced.
This week, Prospect announced that its members at the V&A in London would escalate their industrial action by striking on 29 and 30 October amid a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Prospect said it is coordinating the strike with members of the Public and Commercial Services Union who are also striking on those days in a parallel dispute.
It is the first time a strike has covered all of the charity’s London sites, which will affect V&A South Kensington, V&A East, V&A Storehouse and Young V&A.
Last month, V&A announced that it was considering a voluntary exit scheme to reduce costs following previous strikes at its South Kensington site on 25 and 26 September and at its other London satellite sites on 4 and 5 September.
At the time, a spokesperson for the charity told Civil Society that rising operating costs, driven by inflation, economic uncertainty and reduced visitor spending, were putting pressure on its finances.
Prospect’s demands
Prospect said V&A’s director Tristram Hunt “continues to refuse to take part in any arbitration talks”, while the charity has not come back with a revised offer despite negotiations on 13 October.
The trade union is demanding that the V&A deliver a minimum 4% pay increase for staff earning above the living wage and pay time-and-a-half for bank holiday working.
It is also asking the charity to become an accredited London living wage employer within 12 months and improve food provision at its east sites.
Prospect said that as well as this strike action, its members are taking part “in action short of strike, including working to contract and withdrawal of good will”.
In a separate dispute with the charity, Prospect recently won paid breaks for collections workers at V&A Storehouse, who had previously been unable to access toilet and drinking water facilities on shift.
Prospect’s general secretary Mike Clancy said: “This is a dispute which V&A could potentially have resolved months ago but their continuing refusal to move on our demands has left us with no choice but to continue our strike action.
“V&A is deservedly one of the UK’s top heritage attractions but visitors will be shocked to hear how poorly paid many staff are, and that such a major institution refuses to get living wage accreditation.
“People on the lowest wages need to know that their pay will keep up with the real cost of living.”
‘We’ve met the majority of their demands’
A spokesperson for V&A told Civil Society: “We’re currently assessing the impact of strike action and will provide more information to visitors as soon as possible.
“We regret that the trade unions have voted again for strike action, we remain in close negotiations and have met the majority of their demands.
“We value our staff enormously and remain fully committed to providing safe, supportive working environments in all our museums.”
The spokesperson said the charity’s latest pay offer delivers a pay rise above inflation for all staff, with an average 4.18% pay rise and a 6.9% increase for its lowest-paid staff, alongside increased bank holiday pay to 1.5, a sector-leading bonus scheme and subsidised food offer for staff at all V&A sites.
“All our staff are already paid at least the London living wage – and work is underway reviewing accreditation,” they added.
