Tate workers vote in favour of week-long strike

Workers at the Tate family of galleries have voted overwhelmingly for a week of strike action in a dispute over pay, terms and conditions.

In a ballot that closed on 11 November, members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union voted for industrial action by a margin of 98% on a turnout of almost 88%.

More than 150 members will strike from 26 November to 2 December. The strike could see reduced services across the Tate’s venues in London, Liverpool and St Ives, including potential disruptions to the opening of the new Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals exhibition at Tate Britain.

PCS is one of three unions representing staff at the galleries. Members of the other two unions are not participating in the strike.

PCS says Tate’s current pay offer of 3% is lower than the Civil Service Pay Remit and does not address ongoing issues of low pay at the institution. In a recent survey by PCS, 72% of members at Tate said their current salary is not enough to meet basic living costs.

This year, Tate undertook its second restructure since 2020, in response to what it described as a slow post-pandemic recovery.

This saw around 40 redundancies across the whole organisation, along with the closure of staff canteens at Tate Britain and Tate Modern, which offered subsidised meals for staff. Access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme was also withdrawn for new starters and replaced with a plan offering “significantly weaker terms”, PCS said.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “With many Tate directors receiving six-figure pay packages and five-figure bonuses while staff are condemned to in-work poverty, it is no wonder we have seen such an overwhelming vote for strike action.

“Our members have rightly rejected another insulting pay offer from senior Tate management, and now stand ready to take strike action that will severely impact gallery operations.”

A Tate spokesperson said: “Tate has made careful savings this year in order to invest in staff pay and still achieve a balanced budget. This includes a 3% salary increase for most roles – including all employees on the lowest three pay bands – while directors are taking a 0% increase to help balance the overall costs. It is only by creating and maintaining a sustainable financial model that we can continue to invest in our staff in the long term.”

Tate is one of a number of cultural institutions facing industrial action this winter. Strikes are also taking place at the British Library and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.

Security guards' union wins recognition at Science Museum

Meanwhile the United Voices of the World (UVW) union has been formally recognised by the Science Museum through the government’s Central Arbitration Committee.

The union recognition comes after a longrunning strike by the museum's security guards for better pay and conditions, including 50 days of strike action, which secured significant pay rises of up to 23%. 

The union hailed the recognition as a landmark victory in the security sector, which is known for high staff turnover, low pay, long hours and precarious contracts. 

Following the recognition win, the union says the museum's security guards are now preparing to negotiate a strong first pay deal in 2026. 

A statement from the union said: “Recognition is the next big step to secure a voice at work by museum guards, members of UVW, who comprise the bargaining unit.”

Catherine Campbell, a Science Museum security guard of 14 years and UVW member, said: “We won by organising one conversation at a time, standing strong and together on the picket lines through rain, wind and cold and with a great deal of solidarity and unity.

“We’re so pleased we’ve now won recognition – the first in the museum’s history for security guards. For us, it is more than clear that the only union for us is United Voices of the World.” 

Petros Elia, UVW general secretary said: “This is a major breakthrough for security guards at the Science Museum, their bosses have tried to ignore, but they can’t ignore them anymore.

“Now, UVW members will have a seat at the table and a collective voice in shaping their working lives. This victory is not only a testament to the unity, determination, and courage of the Science Museum’s security team — it’s a message to every worker across the UK; when workers stand together and refuse to back down, we win.”