Public sector workers during a strike. The photo displays a placard saying

Photo: Nick Efford

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DCMS and Creative Scotland staff set to strike

Staff from some of the UK’s largest museum and heritage organisations are also set to strike on Wednesday as they campaign for a pay rise, pensions justice and job security.

Patrick Jowett
3 min read

Staff at the Department for Culture, Media, Digital and Sport (DCMS) and Creative Scotland are among public sector workers at a range of arts and culture organisations set to take strike action next week.

The workers form part of the 100,000 civil servants who are members of the Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS) taking part in the one-day strike on 1 February.

PCS members working at the British Museum, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Museums Liverpool, National Museums Scotland, National Records of Scotland, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Wallace Collection will also be striking.

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The union is campaigning for a 10% pay rise in light of the cost-of-living crisis, as well as pensions justice, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms. 

Voting on strike action took place last year with a requirement that at least 50% of PCS Union members in each organisation had to agree to the action in order for it to take place. 

The internal strike ballot at DCMS saw 90% of PCS members agree to action on a 58% turnout. At Creative Scotland, which recently warned it may have to cut the number of its regularly funded organisations after its Scottish Government funding was slashed, 94% of union members voted to strike on an 85% turnout.

But not all cultural organisations with workers represented by PCS Union will be taking part. The union recently announced a new strike ballot at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales is going ahead, after less than half of its 230 PCS Union members voted to take part in this action.

Wednesday’s strike action will see rallies arranged by PCS Union take place in more than 35 cities. Teachers, university workers and rail workers are also planning to strike on the same day.

Institutions with striking workers largely expect to be able to remain open to the public.

A British Museum spokesperson told Museum Association it has “a carefully rehearsed operational plan in place to respond to any staff shortages on the day. That plan prioritises a safe and secure opening of the museum on a phased basis. 

“We will endeavour to keep visitors informed of any disruption on our website with updates throughout the day.”

The National Lottery Heritage Fund told Museums Journal it does not expect the action to disrupt its operations.