National museum security guards plan coordinated day of strike action

Security guards from London’s Science Museum, Natural History Museum (NHM) and Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) are planning a day of coordinated strike action to coincide with the start of the Christmas holidays.

More than 100 outsourced workers from the museums, who are employed by the external contractor Wilson James, will stage a mass walkout on 21 December.

Joining around 300 more security guards from the Department for Education and Harrods department store, the striking workers will stage a picket outside Harrods that morning before marching to the museums at midday.

The museum workers’ demands include a pay rise to £16 an hour, sick pay from day one, and an additional week of annual leave. They say their sick pay and annual leave demands are already allocated to thousands of workers directly employed by the museums and are what security teams used to receive before they were outsourced in 2011.

The strike is being coordinated by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union and follows 16 days of walkouts by the workers in October and November. The union said the dispute highlighted the “widespread exploitation of outsourced workers across prestigious London institutions”.

The industrial action comes after strikes were briefly suspended earlier this month to allow for talks between the workers and Wilson James, mediated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

'No offer'

The union said “no offer resulted” from Wilson James during those talks and that the other employers targeted by the strike, Harrods and G4S, had refused to negotiate.

“We haven’t been listened to by Wilson James,” said V&A shift worker Urszula Widlo. “They just don’t appreciate or respect our work. Striking is always a last resort. We’ve been pushed to this point by Wilson James. I’m one of the reps, and we had a five-hour meeting with them to talk about how we’re feeling at work. They promised us they would do their best, that we could trust them. But when they came back with their answers, it was just 'no, no, no' to everything we asked for. We didn’t even ask for that much.”

Charles Wilson, who has been a security guard at the NHM for 19 years, said: “We ensure the security in and around the building, and we are highly skilled and trained – I myself am a Behavioural Detection Officer – yet we are the lowest paid staff in the building. Housekeeping, retail, visitor assistance… they all get better terms and conditions than us.”

UVW general secretary, Petros Elia, said: “Saturday will be a day to remember: nearly 400, mainly migrant workers from some of London’s most prestigious museums, department stores and the Department for Education uniting in defiance of exploitation and disrespect.

“These workers are the backbone of institutions that generate enormous wealth and cultural value, yet they are treated as second-class citizens, enduring low pay, poor conditions, and indifference from their employers. We’ve tried talking, we’ve tried negotiating, and we’ve even paused strike action in good faith, but Wilson James came to the table dishonestly and empty-handed, and G4S and Harrods outright refused to engage.

“This strike is not just about wages; it’s about recognition for their vital contributions and putting an end to the injustice of outsourcing and other service sector jobs.

“By standing together in this coordinated way – which is very rare to see these days – these workers are making history and are sending a clear message: they will no longer be invisible. They are prepared to fight, and they won’t stop until every worker gets the dignity, respect and pay they deserve.”

'Balanced solution'

A Wilson James spokesperson said: “At Wilson James, we place the highest value on our colleagues' contributions, particularly in securing and enhancing the visitor experience at the Science Museum, the V&A, and the Natural History Museum. The safety and wellbeing of our team members, alongside the public, are our top priorities and we are committed to providing a fair and respectful working environment for everyone.

“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 have been working to ensure that pay for our security colleagues has remained 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.

“While we respect the right to strike, we remain confident that we will be able to continue delivering 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 in finding a resolution that is fair for all.”