Alistair Hardaker
Image: Christine Matthews : British Library, London WC1 : CC BY-SA 2.0
Almost 300 union members are being balloted in a planned strike over pay
Union members at the London branch of the British Library are considering a strike over pay.
Almost 300 Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) members who work in the British Library are being balloted for strike action from today until 13 October.
The union said the key demand is for “an inflation-proof pay rise with restoration after a second consecutive year of a real-terms pay cut”.
It is also demanding the payment of alternative working patterns wages for security staff and no future bonuses for bosses “while workers struggle to make ends meet”.
PCS said its 2024 survey of British Library members found that most struggle each month to pay their rent and mortgage payments, with many working second jobs and taking out loans to pay their bills.
It claims a large number of members are also reporting mental and physical health problems as a result of low pay.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “All [workers] are asking for is decent pay so they can keep the electricity on, feed their children and afford the basic necessities of life that are often taken for granted by highly paid bosses.”
A British Library spokesperson told Advisor: “Pay negotiations between the British Library and Trade Unions are currently at an early stage, with no formal pay offer for the 2025/26 award having yet been made.
“Separately, a restructure of senior management is underway, however details of this process remain confidential while those who are affected are consulted.
It said the statement from PCS “contains a number of inaccuracies and we do not recognise the description provided here.”
