National museum security guards secure ‘life-changing’ pay rises after strike

Security guards at several national museums in London have secured significant pay rises of between 13% and 23% after taking more than 50 days of strike action.

Employed by the external security contractor Wilson James, workers at the Natural History Museum and Science Museum first went on strike last October in a dispute over low pay and working conditions. They were later joined by Wilson James colleagues at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The industrial action included a month of almost-daily walkouts in February, as well as visits and appeals to the museums’ trustees. 

The workers, who are represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, said they had faced six years of frozen wages and a delay in the implementation of the London Living Wage.

Between 2019 and 2021, guards received a 1.2% pay rise at a time when they said Wilson James had doubled its profits to more than £7.6m annually. Many guards were earning £11.95 an hour in the summer of 2024, before the strike began, below the London Living Wage of £13.15 at the time, which they said their employer had initially refused to backdate or implement immediately. 

The pay rises are worth several thousand pounds a year per worker, adding up to £8,000-plus annually to their salaries depending on seniority.

In a statement, UVW said: “This outcome is a hard-won step forward after tireless organising by the guards themselves, who remain committed to building on this momentum to continue improving their pay and working conditions.”

UVW general secretary Petros Elia, said the win was “life-changing” for the workers.  

“This victory shows what happens when workers stand united and refuse to be treated as second-class,” said Elia.

“Our members at the museums have shown immense courage, taking on powerful institutions and winning real gains in pay and dignity. Despite being ignored and sidelined, and the employers refusal to engage with their union of choice, they did not back down.

“Through relentless strike action, bold tactics and sheer collective strength, they’ve forced some of the UK’s most powerful cultural institutions to listen.

“They have won more in seven months of organised action than they had in the 10 years prior, with thousands of pounds more per year going into their pockets. These are real, life-changing wins, won by unionising, standing together and fighting back. This is the power of working-class organising.”

The security guards have expressed joy and pride after settling the dispute.

“We put up a massive fight and we won more in seven months than we had in years,” said security officer Catherine Campbell, who works at the Science Museum.

“We went from £11.95 to £14.05 an hour. We did everything: we protested in the streets, went to the trustees’ offices, and stood up for ourselves across all three museums. It showed what’s possible when you’re united. We’re really proud of what we achieved.

“That said, we know we have to stay alert, keep the pressure on and hold the employer accountable. The cost of living keeps going up, and pay needs to keep up too. We can’t let them drop the ball.”

Geoffrey Davis, who has been security supervisor at the Natural History Museum since 2014, said: “Since we organised with UVW and stood up for ourselves, they’ve had to listen. They know now they can’t just push us aside, they can’t just walk all over us, they have to listen to our side of the story.

“Before our fight and our win, we didn't feel as if we were worth anything, but now, you feel you're worth something. You are a person. You are being recognised as a human being. That made me very happy.”

Wilson James has been contacted for comment.