Key facts
- Staff at the V&A's Storehouse site in London voted 100% in favour of strike action.
- The primary issue at the Storehouse site is the lack of adequate time for toilet and hydration breaks.
- Staff across all V&A sites in London are also striking over pay and working conditions.
- The union Prospect is seeking a minimum 4% pay rise and living wage accreditation for V&A staff.
- The V&A maintains that staff have access to necessary facilities and breaks.
Staff at the V&A's newest site, Storehouse in east London, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, with 100% support on an 88% turnout. This dispute, driven by concerns over inadequate toilet and hydration breaks, is in addition to a wider industrial action ballot across V&A sites in London. In that broader dispute, 83% of staff voted for strike action on an 82% turnout, with key demands including a minimum 4% pay rise, time-and-a-half for bank holiday work, and the museum seeking accreditation as a London Living Wage employer within 12 months.
Prospect, the union representing the staff, stated that members at the Storehouse site are denied sufficient time for basic welfare needs during their shifts. Collections access officers, who facilitate the "order an object" service, are particularly affected. The union is calling for two paid breaks per day, arguing that the current schedule is punishing and leads to issues like dehydration and headaches, especially given the manual labour and public interaction involved. Staff also report difficulties leaving unattended trolleys of collection objects to take breaks.
Prospect's General Secretary, Mike Clancy, criticized the working practices, comparing them to those found in companies like Amazon and expressing dismay that such conditions exist within a heritage institution. He described the dispute as reflecting a "shocking lack of respect" for museum staff.
The V&A has previously responded to separate strike ballots by stating that all staff have access to water, toilet facilities, and regular breaks, and highlighted measures taken during recent heatwaves. While the museum asserts that all its staff are paid at least the London Living Wage of £14.80 per hour, it has not yet become an accredited Living Wage employer, though it plans to review this. Some outsourced contractors at the V&A are reportedly not paid the living wage.