Victoria and Albert Museum staff vote to strike over pay

Staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) have voted overwhelmingly to strike over disputes regarding pay, working conditions, and health and safety. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) reported that 95.39% of members voted in favor of strike action, while 97.86% supported action short of a strike.

Coordinated industrial action with the Prospect Union is scheduled for 4 and 5 September at the V&A Storehouse, V&A East, and Young V&A sites. From 4 September, PCS members will also engage in work-to-rule actions across all V&A sites, which includes refusing overtime and informal tasks.

The unions are demanding that the museum become Real Living Wage accredited, improve pay for Band 6 staff and above, and provide 1.5x pay for Bank Holiday work. Additional demands include a heatwave policy to close public spaces when temperatures reach 30 degrees, better water access for staff at the V&A East Storehouse, and improved trade union engagement. Workers cited the high cost of living in London as a primary driver for the dispute, noting that current salaries for roles such as floor assistants and conservators fall significantly below the Minimum Income Standard.