Museum workers reject pay offer

Hundreds of members of the PCS civil service union working for the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) were being balloted on strike action as Labour Research went to press. This follows an 85% rejection of a below-inflation pay offer.

The imposed two-year pay deal for 2007-08 and 2008-09 was delayed by management by more than a year which the union says means that “most PCS members will actually receive even less than the headline amount of 3% for both years”.

Colleagues in the smaller Prospect scientific and managerial staffs union have also rejected the offer and the unions are set to coordinate action.

NMSI comprises the Science Museum in London, York’s National Railway Museum, the Science Museum at Swindon and Bradford’s National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. Last year the company made a £1 million operating profit, exceeding its target by 14%.

PCS negotiations officer Ragesh Khakhria told Labour Research that the “appalling” pay deal worked out at 3% in the first year, and 2.7% in the second. And, he said, there had been no revalorisation of pay scales, meaning that the value of the points on the pay scales remain unchanged and have not gone up.

Members are being balloted on action up to and short of strike action, including an overtime ban, and the results are due in early June.