Alistair Hardaker | Image: View of Weston Collections Hall at V&A East Storehouse (Kemka Ajoku for V&A)
PCS and Prospect unions coordinate strikes on 4-5 September, with action short of strike continuing across all V&A sites.
Members of the PCS Union working at the V&A will strike in September as their dispute with management over pay, health and safety, working conditions and trade union engagement escalates.
Workers at V&A Storehouse, V&A East and Young V&A are now scheduled to walk out on 4 and 5 September.
From 4 September onwards, PCS members will take action short of a strike across all V&A sites, limiting their duties to the strictest terms of their contracts, refusing overtime and informal extra tasks.
This will be a coordinated strike action with Prospect Union, whose members will also take strike on the same days, and at the same sites.
The industrial action follows a ballot of PCS members, with 95.39% voting in favour of strike action and 97.86% backing action short of a strike.
The PCS union wants the V&A to improve pay for Band 6 staff and above, become Real Living Wage accredited, and pay 1.5x for Bank Holiday work. It’s also calling for a heatwave policy to close public spaces at 30 degrees, water access for staff at V&A East Storehouse, and regular meetings with union reps.
Its demands were first announced during the union’s vote to strike.
The union says it has repeatedly sought meaningful engagement with V&A management, but members’ concerns have not been adequately addressed.
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote said members voted for the action “because they are demanding what every worker should be able to expect – fair pay, safe working conditions and a proper voice in their workplace.”
“The message to the V&A is clear: our members will not stand by while their concerns are ignored. If management wants to avoid further disruption, it needs to get around the table with PCS and start negotiating seriously.”
Mike Clancy, general secretary of prospect, added: “We have participated in Acas talks to try and resolve the dispute but we need a credible, improved offer to take to our members. That has not been forthcoming.
“Directors at V&A continue to demonstrate their lack of respect for the very people who make the museum what it is – its dedicated, highly qualified staff.
“The V&A can still avoid this strike, but it needs actual effort to meet our terms and for senior management to demonstrate that they are serious about wanting to find a solution to this dispute.”
A spokesperson from the V&A said: “We 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.
“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. 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 mitigations have also been put in place across our museums.
“We are currently assessing the likely impact of industrial action on our operations and advise visitors to check our website for the latest updates.”
