Staff represented by Prospect union at Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) in London have voted to strike on 11 and 12 August.
In a statement, the union said that its members “voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action as they campaign to secure improvements to pay and working conditions”. 77% of those who voted supported strike action on a turnout of 90%. 88% of respondents also voted in favour of action short of a strike.
The move follows the announcement that Prospect members at the V&A East Storehouse, and across the V&A's three other London sites, have voted to strike in a dispute over concerns about working conditions.
Crucially, Prospect says that it is stepping up industrial action across UK cultural venues. “Across the heritage sector our members have been taken advantage of for too long. This summer we are sending a signal that they will not put up with it anymore,” said Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, in a statement.
Prospect members at RMG are seeking London Living Wage accreditation this year, paid breaks for security workers, concrete policies on fixed-term contracts and improved training and development opportunities.
In a statement to The Art Newspaper, Royal Museums Greenwich say they have been in “constructive negotiations” with Prospect including a formal ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) conciliation meeting in July. “Those negotiations have already produced a two-year pay settlement covering 2026/27 and 2027/28, which has been agreed by Prospect and implemented,” says the museum.
“The remaining areas of dispute relate to a small number of non-pay matters on which the union and RMG has already had a meeting with ACAS, who recorded progress and a constructive way forward as RMG made a series of commitments, including engagement with the Living Wage Foundation”, the RMG adds.
“We are disappointed by this outcome [strike action], particularly given the progress which has been made. RMG plans to keep the museum sites open to maintain the provision of service to the public.”
Royal Museums Greenwich encompasses the National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark. In its plan for 2025-29, the organisation says it aims to “maximise opportunities offered by digital technology” and “run a high-performing organisation”.