National Coal Mining Museum trustee resigns
A trustee of the National Coal Mining Museum has resigned due to ‘recent change in job and increased work commitments’, the charity has said.
A spokeswoman for the museum said Penelope Foreman’s term of office as a trustee ‘concluded on October 31’.
She added: “Penelope chose not to seek re-election, however two other trustees were re-elected for a further term of office at the charity’s AGM on November 7.
"We would like to express our sincere gratitude for her expertise, dedication, and the time she devoted during her tenure.
"Her contributions have been invaluable to the museum, and we wish her every success in the future.”
A number of staff at the museum have been on a continuous strike since mid-August in a dispute over pay as the museum has ‘failed to put forward an acceptable wage-rise to resolve the dispute,’ UNISON said.
The union says the extension of the strike, now until January 28, is down to the museum’s ‘unwillingness to pay workers what they deserve’.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Rianne Hooley said: “Workers at the National Coal Mining Museum have been on strike for over three months, and the only offer put forward in that time was worse for several workers than one rejected in August before industrial action started.
“The board of trustees is supposed to manage the senior leadership of the museum, and ensure it is accountable. That has not happened.
“Almost 2,000 people have signed a public petition calling on the chief executive and trustees to resign.
"Wakefield Council has withdrawn funding. Public trust in the current leadership is gone.
“Hopefully the resignation of the vice-chair will result in the appointment of a new trustee who will actually make decisions to unlock the dispute and find a resolution.
“UNISON is still willing to get round the negotiating table whenever senior managers want – provided they actually bring an improved offer with them.”
The museum said: "We are disappointed therefore that our offer has been rejected and that industrial action has been extended until January 28..
"Throughout this process, the museum has remained open to negotiation and has made multiple offers, none of which have been accepted.
"Unfortunately, the union has maintained firm red lines and issued demands, making meaningful compromise and progress impossible."
It went on to say: "We remain fully open to constructive dialogue with Unison and urge them to negotiate rather than issue demands.”