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09.09.2024 / News / Natural History and Science Museums

Strike ballot opens for security guards at the Science and Natural History museums after a pitiful pay increase

Outsourced security guards at the Natural History and Science museum are balloting to strike in a fight for better pay and conditions. The security guards are asking for a wage of £16 an hour and full sick pay from day one. Their bosses, Wilson Wilson James reported making over £7 million profit after tax.

The guards, who are members of United Voices of the World (UVW) union, have had real terms pay cuts for years and now have wages “stuck in the past”. They currently earn £11.95 per hour, only 51p above the minimum wage, which was the London Living Wage in 2022. UVW understands their wages will be increased to the current London Living Wage of £13.15 per hour, which was introduced in October 2023, however, the guards describe the increase as “too little, too late” as the last increase was 1.5 years ago of 4.5% and was substantially below inflation at the time of over 11%.

Kingsley Ampofo, a UVW member and security guard at the Natural History Museum, said: “The refusal of Wilson James to offer security guards a decent wage in these harsh economic times is having a serious impact on our wellbeing. We have to work more days as overtime to make ends meet at the expense of our health and our families. Every member of the museum’s workforce, including the directors, have received a decent rise in their wages. So why not the security guards who work their socks off to ensure the safety of both people and property? This disdained treatment of security guards must stop.”

The security guards protect millions of visitors and priceless exhibits but are outsourced to contractor Wilson James. The contract for providing security guards to the museums, who are part of a consortium with the Victoria & Albert Museum, was worth over £63 million at the point of tender. In their latest accounts, Wilson James reported making over £7 million profit after tax. The Science Museum Group’s total income has increased by £18m to £128m for the year ending March 2023. The National History Museum’s income increased by £19.6m to £117m over the same period.Wilson James and the museums have so far refused to negotiate with the security guards and their union.

Geoffrey Davis, a UVW member and security supervisor at the Natural History Museum, said: “I’ve been with Wilson James for 23 years and this is the worst I’ve seen them treat us. I’ve found it hard to make ends meet as the cost of everything has gone up, such as broadband, gas, electricity, travel and food. The museums treat us as second class employees when they give their directly employed staff pay rises and bonuses of £500. We think the museums need to take safety more seriously by treating us the same as their in-house staff, including paying a decent wage and providing sick pay from day one.”

The security guards UVW represents across the two museums are just under half British, with the remainder coming from Poland, India, Portugal, Nepal, Pakistan, Ghana, Germany, Spain, France, Poland, Sweden, Uganda, Macedonia, Malta, Lithuania, Eritrea, Jamaica, Zambia and Belgium. In some cases, these security guards have been working at the museums for decades.

Bayo Owolabi, a UVW member and security guard at the Science Museum, said: “It’s quite disrespectful and demoralising that security guards are the lowest-paid staff in the Science Museum. The other museum staff have received pay rises in line with inflation. The rising cost of rent, energy, groceries, and transport has made it hard to make ends meet. I’ve found it difficult to afford going on holiday. It’s stressful and a struggle having to do so much overtime and working unsociable hours. It puts a strain on our family lives. Wilson James needs to move forward with the times.”

The security guards provide an essential role at the museums from operating control rooms, to perimeter security and internal patrols, emergency response and first aid, management of electronic security systems, event and exhibition security officers, staff entrance security, traffic control, loading bay, bag search and door security. This work is incredibly tiring and the guards work long hours. The museums could not function without them and the world-class security services they provide.

Catherine Campbell, a UVW member and security guard at the Science Museum, said: “I feel demoralised and sad that I’ve not had a proper pay rise. I’ve been a security guard for 13 years here and I’m also a fully trained first aider. As a first aider, I take this responsibility very seriously and I have seen some bad injuries over the years. Everything from bumped heads to deep lacerations and miscarriages. This can be stressful to deal with. I am always happy to help and do my best but I believe this level of responsibility should be reflected in my salary.”

The ballot opens on Friday 6 September and closes on Friday 4 October. If the security guards vote to strike, industrial action is expected to take place between 21 October 2024 and 3 April 2025.

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said: “It’s not rocket science – the security guards deserve pay that is fit for the present, not that is stuck in the past. The guards, who are mainly migrant workers, are protecting millions of visitors every year and priceless exhibits and artefacts, and they shouldn’t be among the lowest paid workers in the museum. Wilson James makes millions in profit because of these workers and they need to get with the times and pay them a decent wage. The museum’s decision to outsource the guards in the first place immediately demoted them to the rank of a second class worker in the museum, excluded from the museum community and from the museum workers’ pay rates and other benefits and it’s about time the museums bring them in-house where they belong. UVW will do everything we can to help the guards win their fight for justice and we hope that Wilson James and the museums come to the negotiating table.”

Click here to find out more about the dispute and about how you can support the workers’ fight for fair pay.

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