National Museums Liverpool members to strike over pay

In a ballot that closed this week (31 January) PCS members at National Museums Liverpool voted by 94% to take strike action as part of our national campaign. Their employer has refused to pay the £1500 cost-of-living payment, one of the concessions made by the government as a result of our national campaign.

NML is the only employer out of over 200 covered by the civil service pay remit guidance to withhold the £1,500 cost-of-living payment,

PCS members working at seven museum and gallery sites across Merseyside will walk out from 17 February to 14 April.

The action is likely to affect the Museum of Liverpool, the World Museum, the International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum, as well as the Walker Art Gallery, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

PCS members last year successfully used planned strike action at the Care Quality Commission, Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime, Welsh National Library and Museums and British Museum and secured the £1.5k bonus from similarly reluctant employers.

Casey Burgess, NML PCS branch chair said: "The action we're taking means a lot to our members. They have endeavoured to keep Liverpool's fascinating stories alive through a cost-of-living crisis after working through a global pandemic. We'll keep fighting to make sure that we're paid fairly for our work.”

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “NML describes itself as ‘trustworthy, respectful and inclusive’, but there’s nothing trustworthy or respectful about being the only government employer not to pay its staff the cost-of-living crisis payment.

“Our members at NML work just as hard as our members elsewhere, so why are they not receiving the same rewards?

“NML can stop these strikes before they start by doing the decent thing for their staff and paying them what they deserve.”