15.10.2024 / Press releases / Natural History, Science and V&A Museums

Security guards at Natural History and Science museums announce strikes over October half term and Halloween

• Security guards at the Natural History and Science museums, who are members of United Voices of the World (UVW) union, have announced six strike days on 25-27 October and 30 October – 1 November- during October half-term, their busiest week of the year, over management’s refusal to negotiate a pay rise and improved conditions.
  
• Over the course of Wilson James’ contract with the museums (which includes the V&A) the outsourced security guards have seen three years of complete wage stagnation whilst Wilson James’ net profits increased by over 50%.

• The security guards are demanding a decent pay rise to £16 per hour, improvements to their current sick pay scheme and increased annual and compassionate leave. The museums make millions in profit every year.

Outsourced security guards at the Natural History and Science Museums, who protect millions of visitors annually, will walk out during the school half-term, including the weekend of 25-27 October and 30 October – 1 November, coinciding with Halloween. The workers overwhelmingly voted to strike in a fight for better pay and working conditions.

The security guards are demanding a pay rise after being offered an “insulting” increase to £13.15 an hour, following years of real-terms pay cuts. This includes two separate three-year periods of frozen wages over the past 13 years with other years seeing raises as low as 0.3 and 0.5%. Until August this year, the guards were earning £11.95 per hour, just 51p above the minimum wage and equivalent to the London Living Wage in 2022. The workers have described the recent increase as “too little, too late,” and that the raise falls significantly short of aggregated inflation and does not correct the years of wage stagnation and real-terms pay cuts.

The guards are demanding £16 an hour, full sick pay from day one, and an additional week of annual leave. Their employer, Wilson James, who earned over £7 million in profit after tax, has so far refused to negotiate with UVW.

Charles Fuller, Natural History Museum security guard for 19 years and UVW member said:

“Being the guardians of culture and history is a great responsibility, and we are always ready for the task. We ensure the security in and around the building, and we are highly skilled and trained — I myself am a Behavioural Detection Officer — yet we are the lowest paid staff in the building. Housekeeping, retail, visitor assistance…they all earn more than us. All the guards are dedicated to the museum and respect all the staff and managers, but we feel unappreciated. We’ve been saying this for the last 10-12 years. This is about fairness and providing for our families.

Our employer, Wilson James, says they’ve already given us the London Living Wage — as late as this year — and that we will talk next, but we need a decent wage now. In fact, asking for £16 an hour is too little. We should be asking for £18! We hope a strike isn’t necessary, but we’re prepared to move forward if it’s the only way to get recognition for what we do and what we need. I am confident we will win. We are a team, and we will stand together.”

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said:

“After years of real-terms pay cuts, frozen wages, sub-inflation pay rises, and unfair treatment, our members are walking out with a heavy heart during the busiest week for the museums all year – October half term. They have been left with no other alternative but to strike following Wilson James’ refusal to enter into negotiations or even acknowledge their grievances and demands. While our members wages stagnated and saw nominal increases, Wilson James’ profits were skyrocketing. This is no coincidence and it is time that the security got a fair share of the pie. We stand in full solidarity with our members, and know it is just a question of time – no matter how many days of strike action need to be taken – before justice is served.”

For further information contact the UVW comms team:

Cristina: 07548 759340

Isabel: 07706 987443

Jim: 07749 765264

E-mail: comms@uvwunion.org.uk  

Notes for editors

United Voices of the World is an anti-racist, member-led, direct action, campaigning trade union and we exist to support and empower the most vulnerable groups of precarious, low-paid and predominantly BAME and migrant workers in the UK. We fight the bosses through direct action on the streets and through the courts and demand that all members receive at least the London Living Wage, full pay, sick pay, dignity, equality and respect.

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