National museum security guards pause strike action after promise of pay offer

Security guards at several national museums in London have temporarily paused their industrial action as they await a new pay offer from their employer, Wilson James, a contractor that manages security services on behalf of the museums.

Guards at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and several Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) sites have staged almost three weeks of daily walkouts throughout February, as well as taking to the picket line over 21 days last autumn.

They announced last week that they would halt the industrial action following promises that they would receive an “acceptable pay offer” by early March.

Representatives of Wilson James have told the union for the security guards, United Voices of the World (UVW), to expect a pay offer from the museums by 7 March at the latest.

The union has warned that if the deadline is not met, or the offer is inadequate, “daily strike action will resume indefinitely”.

The security guards are demanding a pay rise to £16 per hour “to catch up with years of pay freezes”, sick pay from day one instead of the current three-day unpaid period, and terms and benefits equal to directly employed museum staff, including more leave and an annual bonus.

Guards at the Young V&A museum in Bethnal Green and the V&A East museum in Stratford recently joined the dispute, demanding the same terms and conditions.

The union says the workers have seen years of stagnant wages, including six years of frozen pay and a 1.2% increase between 2019 and 2021, “despite Wilson James doubling its profits to over £7.6m annually”.

According to the union, the museums “have reported record-breaking profits and visitor numbers, yet security guards were earning as little as £11.95 per hour before strike action”.

The union also says that Wilson James refused to implement a rise in the London Living Wage immediately or backdate it.

“We are placing our trust in Wilson James, the V&A and other museums to meet our demands,” said Edi Palalej, security guard and UVW representative at the V&A.

“We hope their promised response will be a positive one, helping to prevent future strikes and rebuild trust between us and our employers.” 

Petros Elia, UVW general secretary, said the security guards had “stood strong through a significant period of strike action, making it clear that they will not back down until they get what they deserve”.

Wilson James has said it is seeking “a resolution that balances fair pay with the need to remain financially responsible”.