Security guards at major London museums, represented by the United Voices of the World (UVW), are set to strike throughout February over pay and working conditions. This unprecedented action includes around 100 workers employed by Wilson James, demanding improved sick pay and equal treatment with directly employed staff. The UVW has called for the public to avoid visiting these institutions, as striking staff assert their rights for fair compensation and respect in the workplace, highlighting a pattern of industrial action across various sectors in recent years.
Bayo Owolawbi, a security guard at the Science Museum and UVW representative said: 'We have been ignored and treated with utter disdain for too long. We have been undermined but we do not undermine ourselves. We are strong, united and we will work hard to get justice.'
The UVW called the action 'unprecedented' and 'the longest strike in the history of all three institutions'. Staff are walking out to demand a pay increase, improved sick pay, and full parity with directly employed museum staff.
A Wilson James spokesperson said: 'At Wilson James, we place the highest value on our colleagues' contributions to protecting and enhancing visitor experiences at the Natural History Museum, V&A, and Science Museum.'
The union is asking the public to show solidarity with workers by not attending the museums during the strike, which will go on throughout the whole of February.
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