Museum security guards announce further strike as union takes legal action

Security guards at London’s Natural History Museum (NHM), Science Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) are planning to go on strike again this month.

The workers, who are employed by external security contractor Wilson James, will walk out from Friday 17 January to Monday 20 January. This will bring the total length of the ongoing strikes to 22 days across three months. 

The 100 outsourced security guards, who are all members of United Voices of the World (UVW), are demanding fair pay, sick leave and better working conditions. 

UVW has also brought three legal claims against Wilson James for race and disability discrimination, victimisation, unlawful pay cuts and blacklisting. 

The disputes include one worker and union member who claims he was subjected to racist remarks.

Another claim involves a zero-hour worker who alleges that he was penalised for refusing to cross a picket line during the October strikes. 

The third claim comes from a female guard, who alleges that she collapsed at work because she was denied a chair despite being in recovery from cancer. 

Since October the guards have taken 18 days of strike action in five stoppages. 

They have committed to continuing industrial action in 2025 until their demands for better pay, sick leave and more annual leave have been met.

UVW member Noemi Molnar, a security guard at NHM, said: “Wilson James has yet to respond meaningfully to our demands, refusing to negotiate or even recognise us. Their responses have been empty, lack facts or commitments. We are determined to continue our fight until we receive a fair and acceptable response and enter meaningful negotiations.”

Science Museum security guard and UVW member Evariste said: “We are not going to stop until management takes us seriously. It was great to have the director of Wilson James come to the museum, willing to listen to what we had to say before Christmas but we haven’t heard back yet, almost a month later.”

Petros Elia, the general secretary for UVW said: “This strike is not just about pay or conditions; it’s about confronting structural injustices, exploitation, discrimination and greed.”

He added: “UVW will continue to stand in solidarity with them, offering every resource we have to ensure their voices are heard and justice is achieved.”

In a statement to Museums Journal, Wilson James said: “At Wilson James, we place the highest value on our colleagues’ contributions to protecting and enhancing visitor experiences at the Natural History Museum, V&A, and Science Museum.

“The safety of both our team members and the public are our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining a respectful and fair working environment. We are aware of the situations relating to the individuals in UVW’s statement and are working with the relevant parties towards resolution. We do not condone or practice any form of coercion related to attendance.

“We offer competitive compensation and are committed to transparent negotiations with our recognised unions. While we acknowledge the demands put forward by UVW, we are seeking a resolution that balances fair pay with the need to remain financially responsible.

“As a Recognised Service Provider by the Living Wage Foundation, we continue to work to ensure that pay for our security colleagues remains reflective of the circumstances. Our most recent negotiations with our recognised trade unions secured a minimum pay increase of 5% and brought pay rates in line with London Living Wage.

“We respect the right to strike, whilst remaining confident that we will continue to deliver excellent service to the museums and their visitors throughout this period of industrial action. We are working diligently to minimise any disruption and ensure that visitors to the museums can continue to enjoy a safe and enriching experience.

“We continue to engage with UVW, seeking to formalise a recognition agreement that will support finding a resolution that is fair for all.”