Staff members at the London Museum are set to engage in a one-day strike during the February half-term due to ongoing disputes regarding pay.
Union members from Prospect will initiate their walkout on February 19. Following this, they will implement action short of a strike, which includes a ban on overtime, starting the next day and continuing indefinitely.
Impact of the Strike
The museum’s Barbican location has been permanently closed as preparations are underway to transition to a new facility at Smithfield Market later this year. Nevertheless, the strike will affect visitors planning to go to the London Museum Docklands in Canary Wharf.
According to Prospect, its members felt they had „no choice“ but to take this action. In contrast, the museum stated that it had offered the largest possible pay increase.
Steve Thomas, deputy general secretary of Prospect, remarked, „Our members have worked tirelessly for the museum and on the new flagship site but they have been left with no option but to take this action.“ The action short of a strike will also include staff refusing to perform any voluntary duties.
Management’s Response
A representative for the London Museum commented, „We’ve carefully managed our finances this year so we could pay as large an award as possible to our staff. As a proud London Living Wage employer, this prioritised lower paid staff who received on average an overall increase of 5.5%, whilst senior staff received on average 2.6%.“
The spokesperson emphasized the museum’s commitment to the „long-term care of our staff“ and a „sustainable financial solution.“ They also indicated that the London Museum would continue to pursue negotiations with the union.
