Natural History and Science museums security guards vote to strike over wages

The guards, who are outsourced to Wilson James, a contractor that made £7 million in profit after tax last year, say their wages are “stuck in the past”

Security guards at the National History and Science museums have overwhelmingly voted to go on strike.

The outsourced staff at the major attractions who are members of the United Voices of the World union, voted for a walkout with 96% in favour out of a 95% turnout. They are taking the industrial action in order to fight for better pay and conditions.

The guards, who are outsourced to Wilson James, a contractor that made £7 million in profit after tax last year, have had real terms pay cuts for years and now have wages “stuck in the past”. They are demanding a proper pay rise, having only been offered a rise to £13.15 an hour after what UVW describe as years of real terms pay cuts.

The security guards had been earning £11.95 per hour until this month, only 51p above the minimum wage, which was the London Living Wage in 2022. They describe the increase as “too little, too late” as the last increase was substantially below inflation.

The staff, who protect millions of visitors to the museums each year, are asking for £16 an hour, full sick pay from day one and one more week of annual leave. Sempijja Juma, Science Museum security guard and UVW member said: “We are asking for pains to be recognised, the mental and physical pains we go through on a daily basis.

"We are out, standing and patrolling, in the freezing cold for hours at a time, on the door and in the car park. Our work takes us away from our families, we work long hours, sometimes until midnight or 2am, because we cannot afford life in the UK, inflation is high and transport costs are high, we have children and families to look after.

Petros Elia, general secretary for UVW, said: “The security guards have spoken loud and clear with an overwhelming vote to strike – they deserve wages that meet today’s standards, not outdated ones, and the incredibly important and thankless work they do. "The outsourcing of these roles unfairly reduced the guards to second-class workers, cutting them off from the museum’s community, pay scales, and benefits.

"It’s long overdue for the museums to bring them in-house. UVW will stand with the guards every step of the way in this fight for fair treatment, and we call on Wilson James and the museums to come to the table and negotiate.”

The staff will be striking from October 25 to October 27. A Wilson James spokesperson said: "We are proud to offer competitive compensation to our employees and remain dedicated to fair and transparent negotiations.

"Throughout the year, we have been in negotiations with our recognised unions at the museums, and in September reached an agreement to increase Security Officers’ pay to £13.15 per hour backdated to April 2024, in line with our commitments as a London Living Wage accredited employer.

"We value our colleagues at the museums and recognise their vital contributions to protecting such treasured national institutions."