Unionized staff across all four branches of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London announced their intention to strike on October 29 and 30, citing stalled negotiations and allegations of “Amazon-style” working conditions at the newly opened V&A East Storehouse.
The announcement follows two planned strikes in September at three V&A museums by workers represented by Prospect Union’s heritage division and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS). The V&A preemptively closed the three locations in response to the strike threat, a move it described in a statement at the time as a “difficult decision.”
Staff at the V&A East Storehouse, a publicly accessible museum storage facility in East London, had voted unanimously in July to strike, claiming they are denied enough time to use the bathroom or drink water. According to a statement from Prospect, the museum has not granted the union’s “extremely reasonable request” for two paid breaks per day.
“Prospect members are dedicated to their jobs, and it is these dedicated staff who make the museum the world-class attraction it is,” said Prospect Union’s general secretary, Mike Clancy, in a press statement. Clancy also claimed that V&A Director Tristram Hunt had refused to negotiate with the unions, which he said “shows the level of disdain in which he holds his staff.”
The V&A has denied the union’s allegations about working conditions at the Storehouse. A museum spokesperson told ARTnews following the strike vote that “all our staff have access to water and toilet facilities and regular breaks while at work,” noting that neither staff nor visitors are allowed to bring food or drinks near the collection.
Among other demands, the V&A unions have called on the museum to become a Real London Living Wage-accredited employer, which would guarantee all staff an hourly wage matching London’s cost of living, currently estimated at £14.80 (about $20). The unions have also demanded a minimum 4% pay bump for workers earning above the living wage, time and a half for work on bank holidays, and measures across all V&A sites to shade outdoor spaces when temperatures are forecast at 30°C (86°F) or higher, along with better cooling in back-of-house areas.
The V&A told ARTnews that it has been negotiating in good faith with the unions since February and that its latest pay offer meets the original demands, including a 4.18 percent average pay increase, a 6.9 percent pay increase for the lowest-paid employees, also claiming to Hyperallergic that “all our staff are already paid at least the London Living Wage – and work is underway reviewing accreditation.” The spokesperson said that the museum had also agreed to 50% pay bump for bank holidays.
PCS, however, said in a public statement Tuesday that the V&A has not settled the dispute. According to the union, while the 6.9 percent pay bump for the lowest-paid staff was offered, most employees have only been offered a 3.25 percent base increase, and that the organization is “refusing to become London Living Wage accredited.” PCS claims that “several” Storehouse employees have fainted due to the ban on carrying even sealed water bottles into the storage area, and that the facilities’ water fountains are regularly out of order.
Furthermore, the statement claimed, “During private events at Storehouse, food and drink have been served in the collections hall,” adding that “Our members have even found empty beer bottles in this area the day after an event.”
“Staff deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and respect,” said PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote in the statement. “We urge the V&A to make meaningful progress and resolve this dispute.”