Staff members at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum charity have voted for strike action amid ongoing pay negotiations and concerns about working conditions.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) announced today that over 95% of its members – working across the charity’s London sites including the flagship museum in South Kensington – had backed industrial action in a ballot.
PCS began balloting its 332 members at the charity last month and started a petition to culture secretary Lisa Nandy and V&A directors asking for “fair pay and safe working conditions”.
The union called on the charity to become an accredited London living wage employer and offer time-and-a-half pay to staff on bank holidays.
It also said its members were “furious over health and safety issues in many of the museum’s London sites”, with a particular concern about working conditions during heatwaves.
PCS said at the V&A East Storehouse in Hackney, London, “workers aren’t allowed to drink or carry water, no matter how hot they are”.
No strike dates have been announced but PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said the vote for potential industrial action “sends a very clear message to V&A management”.
“Our members will not accept being undervalued, ignored or put at risk at work,” they said.
“They are demanding fair pay, safe working conditions and a proper voice in the workplace, and they have shown they are prepared to take action to get them.”
While the V&A is not listed as an accredited living wage employer, a spokesperson for the charity previously said it had “maintained our long-standing commitment to paying at least the London living wage”.
They said the charity ensured its employees had access to water, toilet facilities and regular breaks at work and had implemented “extensive measures” to support them during the recent heatwaves.
However, the spokesperson said food and drink were not permitted during “order an object” appointments at the V&A East Storehouse – which is air-conditioned and a working collections store – “to ensure the safety and security of national collections”.
Charity ‘deeply regrets’ strike action vote
In a new statement on the ballot outcome, a V&A spokesperson said they “deeply regret that the trade unions have voted for strike action”.
“We have been negotiating with them in good faith since February and have met the majority of their demands with a significantly improved offer, which we believe is fair, competitive and affordable,” they said.
“We value our staff enormously and remain fully committed to providing safe, supportive working environments in all our museums.
“Our latest pay offer delivers a pay rise well above inflation for all staff, with an average 4.18% pay rise and a 6.9% increase for our lowest-paid colleagues; a bank holiday pay rate increase to 1.5, alongside a sector-leading bonus scheme; our longstanding commitment to paying at least the London living wage and a subsidised food offer at all of our sites.”
They added: “We are currently assessing the likely impact of any future industrial action on our operations and advise visitors to check our website for the latest updates.”
