Workers at three Victoria and Albert Museum sites in London will strike next month over pay, health and safety, and working conditions.
Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members at V&A East Storehouse, V&A East and Young V&A are due to walk out on 4 and 5 September.
Members of Prospect, another trade union, will also walk out in a parallel dispute. Members of the two unions at the three V&A sites will work to rule and withdraw co-operation from 4 September onwards.
A V&A spokesperson said the museum had been negotiating with the unions since February and had met the majority of their demands with “a significantly improved offer”.
A PCS ballot registered 95% in favour of industrial action. The union did not say how many workers would be striking.
It called for better pay, a cross-site policy to close public spaces when temperatures reached 30C, and for V&A East Storehouse workers “to drink and carry water at work”.
Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said members had given the V&A “every opportunity” to resolve the dispute through negotiation and if management wanted to avoid further disruption, it needed to get around the table “and start negotiating seriously”.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said the union was making “very reasonable demands” over pay and working conditions for its members.
The V&A spokesperson said they valued their staff enormously and were committed to providing safe and supportive work environments.
“Our latest pay offer delivers a pay rise well above inflation for all staff, with an average 4.2% pay rise and a 6.9% increase for our lowest-paid colleagues.”
They said the V&A had a longstanding commitment to paying at least the London Living Wage.
“All our staff have regular breaks, and access to drinking fountains on each floor is provided at V&A East Storehouse, which has an air-cooling system.
“Extensive heatwave mitigation has also been put in place across our museums.”
Visitors are advised to check museum websites for updates on any disruption.
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