Workers at three Victoria and Albert museum sites in London will strike next month over pay, health and safety, and working conditions. Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members at V&A East Storehouse, V&A East and Young V&A are due to walk out on 4 and 5 September. From 4 September onwards, PCS members at all sites will work to rule and withdraw cooperation in coordinated action with Prospect, another trade union, PCS said.
A V&A spokesperson said the museum had been negotiating with the unions since February and had met the majority of their demands with "a significantly improved offer". A PCS ballot registered 95% in favour of industrial action. The union did not say how many workers would be striking.
It called for better pay, a cross-site policy to close public spaces when temperatures reached 30C, and for V&A East Storehouse workers "to drink and carry water at work". Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said members had given the V&A "every opportunity" to resolve the dispute through negotiation and if management wanted to avoid further disruption, it needed to get around the table with PCS "and start negotiating seriously". The V&A spokesperson said they valued their staff enormously and were committed to providing safe and supportive work environments.
"Our latest pay offer delivers a pay rise well above inflation for all staff, with an average 4.2% pay rise and a 6.9% increase for our lowest-paid colleagues." They said the V&A had a longstanding commitment to paying at least the London Living Wage. "All our staff have regular breaks, and access to drinking fountains on each floor is provided at V&A East Storehouse, which has an air-cooling system. "Extensive heatwave mitigation has also been put in place across our museums." Visitors are advised to check museum websites for updates on any disruption.
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