"The striking staff members belong to Tate Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS Tate United), one of the three unions representing museum employees. In a ballot held on November 11, 98% of union staff members voted in favor of striking. The move comes after the museum cut a reported 40 jobs in March, attributing the downsizing to pandemic-related deficits. The strike is expected to end on December 2."
"The union said in a press release that based on a recent survey, 72.2% of its members could not afford basic living costs with their salaries. The reported this week that prices rose by 3.8% in the United Kingdom in 2025. A union spokesperson rebuked the museum's 2% pay raise offer for 2024, which was later increased to 3% for 2025-2026. According to PCS Tate United, the pay raise offer "does not address ongoing issues of low pay at the institution.""
""The dispute is primarily focused on pay, with the last two years seeing below-inflationary offers," a union spokesperson told Hyperallergic in an email. "This is in addition to a sustained period of cutbacks and restructures, with a series of voluntary redundancies, the closure of the subsidised staff canteen and the redundancies of some of the canteen staff.""
More than 150 workers at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives will strike for a week beginning November 26 and ending December 2. The workers are members of PCS Tate United, one of three unions representing museum staff. A ballot on November 11 returned a 98% vote in favor of strike action. The union cites below-inflation pay offers over the past two years, including a 2% offer for 2024 later increased to 3% for 2025–2026. A union survey found 72.2% of members cannot afford basic living costs on current salaries. The museum cut about 40 jobs in March and closed a subsidized staff canteen. Tate directors did not receive salary increases as part of institutional cost-saving measures.
Read at Hyperallergic
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