The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London is planning to launch a voluntary exit scheme for all workers following a sequence of strikes over pay and dealing situations.
The unions PCS and Prospect held strike motion on the V&A’s South Kensington website on 25 and 26 September. The strike motion got here after union members at three V&A websites (East Storehouse, East Museum and Younger V&A) walked out on 4 and 5 September after elevating considerations about renumeration and dealing situations, particularly on the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, which opened final spring.
In response to a report by Arts Skilled, the “PCS union claimed the establishment is projecting operational deficits amounting to a cumulative complete of £19m by 2030”; this was not confirmed by the V&A.
“Like many organisations, the V&A is dealing with rising working prices, pushed by inflation, financial uncertainty, and diminished customer spending. Whereas we proceed to obtain authorities help, below-inflation settlements imply a real-terms discount in funding over the approaching years,” a V&A spokesperson advised The Artwork Newspaper.
The V&A obtained grant-in-aid from the UK authorities totalling £59.9m from 2025-26 in response to its annual report, a rise of £3.7m on the earlier 12 months. Along with this core funding, there was additionally a £5.2m award for the museum from the Public Our bodies Infrastructure Fund to assist defend the V&A’s buildings at South Kensington and Younger V&A.
The V&A spokesperson highlights the museum’s organisational technique for 2026-30 which “is underpinned by a cautious strategy to monetary planning and we’re exploring a variety of measures to scale back prices, together with launching a Voluntary Exit scheme.” The scheme is open to workers throughout the museum.
One ingredient of the organisational technique targets on “streamlining operations” addresses staffing: “We are going to simplify our operations and improve our output by way of the efficient deployment of our folks, processes and know-how, together with AI; lowering prices whereas rising impression.” The technique additionally contains “develop[ing] assured, expert groups and an inclusive tradition” as one of many museum’s foundations.
In an announcement dated 22 September, PCS disputed some claims made by the V&A director, Tristram Hunt. “Hunt alleged that V&A workers would obtain a mean pay rise of 4.18%. But the overwhelming majority of workers, other than the bottom paid, are being supplied 3.25%,” stated PCS. The assertion additionally disputes the declare that the museum directorate has had “common contact” with the commerce unions.
The spokesperson provides: “We deeply remorse that the commerce unions voted for strike motion. We’ve got been negotiating with them in good religion since February and have met the vast majority of their calls for with a considerably improved supply, which we imagine is truthful, aggressive and reasonably priced.”
The spokesperson says that the most recent pay supply delivers a pay rise “properly above inflation for all workers, with a mean 4.18% pay rise and a 6.9% enhance for our lowest-paid colleagues; a financial institution vacation pay charge enhance to 1.5, alongside a sector-leading bonus scheme and a subsidised meals supply in any respect of our websites”.
In response to the spokesperson, all V&A workers are paid the London Residing Wage (LLW) and have been for a few years; additionally they word that the “majority” of contracted roles are paid the LLW. “The overwhelming majority of contracted roles are additionally paid the London Residing Wage. The V&A has already made a dedication to the commerce unions that we’ll overview LLW accreditation by December this 12 months.” The museum stays out there for negotiations with the commerce unions, the spokesperson provides. No additional strike motion has been introduced at time of publication.
