Postal Museum formally recognises Prospect union

The Postal Museum has signed a voluntary recognition agreement with Prospect union.

The agreement, which covers around 100 workers at the museum’s Farringdon/Clerkenwell site in London, follows a grassroots campaign by staff.

Prospect said that a number of workplace issues last year had highlighted the potential benefits of having a collective voice, and had been one of the driving forces behind the recognition campaign.

Those issues, which have since been dealt with, included the lack of a proper cooling system at the museum.

Noel McClean, the deputy general secretary of Prospect, said: “Receiving mail is something everyone takes for granted but there is so much history behind the system we have today.

“As a former postie this is an area that is close to my heart, so I am extremely pleased to have signed this agreement. It means workers at the Postal Museum now have access to all the benefits a collective voice brings.

“I want to thank both members in the museum who have worked hard to make this happen, and management who have been very receptive to the process.

“We look forward to working with the museum in the coming years.”

Laura Wright, the chief executive of the Postal Museum, said the organisation was committed to “fostering an inclusive and welcoming culture where colleagues feel respected, listened to and able to participate in shaping their working lives”.

“We're pleased to formally recognise Prospect,” she said. “Open dialogue and a recognised collective voice are important to that ambition, and we look forward to working with Prospect to ensure colleagues feel heard and represented.”

The Postal Museum's main Farringdon/Clerkenwell site features galleries, interactive zones, and a café. A former engineering works across the road houses an underground exhibition and the station for the museum's historic Mail Rail ride.

A separate storage and collection site in Debden houses large items like vintage Royal Mail motorbikes, mobile post offices, and early postal carriages.

Strike suspended at Royal Museums Greenwich

In other workforce news, Prospect announced the suspension of planned strike action at Royal Museums Greenwich last week after receiving an improved offer from the institution.

Members of the union had been due to take to the picket line on 31 October, having previously held strikes on 11-12 August and engaged in action short of a strike.

The dispute, which began in March, centres on several issues, including Living Wage accreditation, training and annual leave entitlement.

Although the parties remain in dispute, all industrial action has been paused while members consider the new offer and await the outcome of a review of annual leave, which is due to report early next year.

Paula Lamont, Prospect's national secretary for heritage, said the union hoped the pause would “mark a turning point in industrial relations and that a forthcoming review on annual leave will address our remaining concerns”.