The National Maritime Museum (NMM) has warned that affordability is its main concern, as unions campaign for a pay increase. The unions Prospect and PCS are demanding a 4 per cent pay rise for 2009-10 in addition to demands for equal pay and a more transparent pay system, benchmarking with other London national museums, the implementation of the London Living Wage (£7.45 an hour) and inflation-matched pay increases. Len Duvall, the London Assembly member for Greenwich and Lewisham, has backed the campaign, writing to the NMM's director, Kevin Fewster, to reiterate the unions' demands and raise concerns about working conditions. "Working conditions at the museum, including annual leave allowances, the prevention of staff from joining the Civil Service Pension Scheme (as in other national museums) and the absence of additional pay or time in lieu for working over national holidays are also cause for alarm," wrote Duvall. Asked whether the museum would be implementing the London Living Wage, Andy Bodle, the director of operations and human resources at the National Maritime Museum, said: "Our main concern at the moment is affordability. The London Living Wage was set up in a different climate. The letter forms part of a union campaign that was also begun in a different climate." Bodle said he was waiting for a formal response from the unions over collective bargaining on pay, but the NMM would hope to raise pay, subject to affordability and what could be agreed. Staff turnover at the NMM has been relatively high and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stipulated in its funding agreement for 2008-11 that it would "expect the NMM to provide assurance that the pay remit process is being used to address problems of staff recruitment and retention". Bodle said pay was not the main reason for staff turnover and he added that staff turnover has been declining since last year.