PCS members in National Museums Liverpool to be balloted for strike action

NML is the only employer out of over 200 covered by the civil service pay remit guidance to withhold this cost-of-living payment.

Its low-paid staff were among the over 100,000 PCS members who struck in 2023 as part of a successful national campaign of industrial action.

The £1,500 payment, which the government was forced to make retrospectively as part of the pay offer for 2022/23, came as a result of this national campaign, which also doubled the original 2023/24 pay offer to at least 4.5%.

But NML is yet to pay the £1,500 payment to its staff, who are among the lowest paid workers in the civil service and public sector and have been at the sharp end of the cost-of living crisis.

Throughout 2023, many employers, including the Welsh National Library and Museums and the British Museum, threatened to withhold this payment, but quickly changed their minds after strike action was on the cards.

PCS is balloting all members at NML from 3-31 January on their willingness to take further targeted action. And we want all members to vote yes to secure this essential payment to all staff.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “PCS members at National Museums Liverpool are rightly furious at being excluded from this cost-of-living-crisis payment.

“Even though all other employers have paid up so far, National Museums Liverpool has decided, against government advice, that our hard-working members don’t deserve the money.

“Our members deserve the same pay rise as their colleagues across the UK and, as they demonstrated already this year, will not shy away from taking action if their bosses don’t do the decent thing and pay up.”