Workers at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new V&A East Storehouse have voted unanimously to strike in a dispute over working conditions, just weeks after the East London facility became one of the museum world’s most closely watched new cultural attractions.
The ballot, organized by the trade union Prospect, covers collections access officers who staff the museum’s much-publicized “Order an Object” program, which allows visitors to book appointments to view works from the V&A’s collection. According to the union, 100 percent of members who voted backed strike action on a turnout of nearly 88 percent, while 92 percent also supported action short of a strike.
Prospect argues that collections access officers are not given enough time during the workday to use the restroom or drink water, and is calling for two paid breaks per shift. The union says employees elsewhere within the V&A already receive comparable breaks.
The dispute extends beyond the Storehouse. Prospect said members across the V&A’s London sites also voted in favor of industrial action over pay, working conditions, and the museum’s refusal to seek London Living Wage accreditation. In that ballot, 83 percent backed strike action on an 82 percent turnout. The union is seeking a minimum 4 percent pay increase for staff earning above the Living Wage, time-and-a-half pay for bank holiday work, London Living Wage accreditation within a year, and improved food provision at V&A East.
In a statement to ARTnews, the V&A said negotiations with Prospect have been going on since February. The museum said its latest offer included a “3.6 percent increase to the overall pay, an above-inflation pay award as a minimum, and a 6.9 percent increase for our lowest-paid colleagues.”
The museum also rejected the union’s characterization of conditions at the Storehouse.
“The safety and wellbeing of our staff is of utmost importance to the V&A,” a spokesperson said. “All our staff have access to water and toilet facilities and regular breaks while at work.” The museum added that V&A East Storehouse has water fountains on every floor and noted that food and drink are prohibited inside the main collections hall and storage areas for both staff and visitors in order to protect the collection.
The V&A said it also introduced additional measures during this month’s heatwave, including extra rest breaks, increased staff rotations, the closure of several galleries at its South Kensington museum, and the temporary closure of Young V&A on eleven days during the hottest period.
Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said visitors would be “appalled” to learn that workers were being denied adequate time for bathroom breaks and drinking water, comparing the alleged practices to those unions have criticized at Amazon. He argued that employees who make the museum’s new Storehouse possible “should be treated in a manner befitting a National Museum.”
The timing of any strike has not yet been announced. The labor dispute is the latest workplace challenge for the V&A. Earlier this month, ARTnews reported that the museum’s former head of academic programs, Yuko Kikuchi, resigned after alleging systemic racism within the institution. The V&A denied the allegations and said it had taken steps to address concerns raised by students.
