Four-week walkout at Wakefield's National Coal Mining Museum in row over pay

UNISON said today (Wednesday), that staff will initially walk out from Wednesday, August 20 to Sunday, September 14, warning of further action if museum bosses ‘continue to refuse to honour a previous pay promise’.

The union says staff are angry managers went back on an agreed salary rise of either 5 per cent or £1 an hour, whichever was higher.

UNISON says the pay package was agreed in early June, but pulled less than a fortnight later, supposedly because trustees had refused to endorse it.

Frustrated workers then balloted for strike action last month with an overwhelming majority (74 per cent) backing walkouts.

Staff say trustees told them they didn’t block the pay rise. UNISON has written to the board of trustees seeking clarification and a meeting.

UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Rianne Hooley said: “The National Coal Mining Museum is a site of huge cultural significance but wouldn’t exist without the hard work of its staff.

“They deserve to be treated with respect. Putting a pay offer on the table then taking it away is completely unacceptable.

“Nobody wants to take strike action, but nobody wants to be messed about either.

“There’s still time for the museum to stop any disruption. Managers simply need to honour the pay rise offered to workers in June.

“Staff are prepared to take sustained strike action to secure the fair pay rise they were promised.”

A spokesperson for the National Coal Mining Museum for England said: “We highly value the work of our museum team, including our dedicated museum guides and are deeply saddened at the decision to commence industrial action.

Despite challenging economic times our staff have been offered a five per cent pay rise this year.

"This is higher than inflation and is significantly higher than the pay award agreed by Unison for the public sector at 3.2 per cent.

" Looking at last year’s pay rise as well, this makes a cumulative increase of 14 per cent over two years.

"As a charity, our trustees feel this current offer is fair and the counter claim by Unison, which equates to over eight per cent, for many, as simply unaffordable.

"It would jeopardise people’s jobs across the organisation and threaten the long-term sustainability of the museum. At no point was an enhanced offer agreed.

"This offer of five per cent has been rejected by Unison, and 28 members out of the 39 who have voted, have done so in favour of industrial action.

"We know that this is not the majority of our workforce of over 100 people and is largely made up of the museum guides who deliver our underground tours.

"It is our intention to keep an open dialogue with Unison, with the sincere hope, that this offer along with the many additional benefits included will be accepted to benefit our staff as a whole.

"It is extremely disappointing that this strike action appears to be planned for four weeks, coinciding with the last two weeks of the summer holidays and into September.

" This will impact the experiences of so many children, families, and schools to whom the museum means so much.  

"Our museum is a vital place for people of all ages to understand more about the important history of coal mining and many have visits booked for months in advance.

"Although we deeply regret that strike action will go ahead, we are committed to continuing to deliver an outstanding visitor experience throughout the summer and accommodate school visits as best we can.

"Whilst we cannot offer underground tours during proposed strike action the rest of our museum will be open, with lots for families and visitors to experience, with a full programme of activities, performances, music, and entertainment.”