V&A suspends strike action after improved pay offer in London dispute

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V&A suspends strike in London

Highlights

The V&A suspended strikes planned for 29 and 30 October after presenting an improved offer, with Acas facilitating renewed negotiations with Prospect and PCS unions.
The museum's proposal includes an average 4.18% pay rise, 6.9% for lowest-paid staff, bank holiday pay at 1.5x rate, a bonus scheme, and subsidised food across all sites.
Previous strikes in September and continued demands for living wage accreditation highlight ongoing pressure on London cultural institutions related to pay and conditions, as the London living wage rises to £15.45 per hour.

Improved offer opens path to talks

As reported by The Guardian, citing PCS, strikes planned for 29 and 30 October are suspended to allow Acas-facilitated talks to take place after an improved offer from the museum. Prospect and the V&A also confirm that the industrial action is on hold while negotiations continue.

Members of Prospect and the Public and Commercial Services union had been due to strike on Thursday and Friday in a dispute covering pay and working conditions, including toilet access and hydration breaks. The planned action would have shut the V&A's main galleries in South Kensington, along with V&A East, V&A Storehouse and Young V&A in east London.

The unions are seeking a 4% pay increase for staff earning above the living wage, accreditation for the V&A as a London living-wage employer within 12 months, and time-and-a-half pay for bank holiday work. They are also pressing for better arrangements during heatwaves and improved food provision at the museum's east London sites.

Operational impact and broader labour issues

The V&A says all of its museums remain open this week, including exhibitions, free displays and planned half-term activities, although some events may still be cancelled or postponed as it works to restore its public programme. The museum says its latest proposal provides an average 4.18% pay rise, a 6.9% increase for its lowest-paid staff, bank holiday pay at 1.5 times the standard rate, a bonus scheme and subsidised food for staff across all sites.

The dispute has already included two separate two-day strikes in September, underlining broader pressure on cultural institutions over pay and conditions in London. The London living wage now stands at £15.45 an hour, and while the V&A says all direct staff receive at least that rate, some outsourced contractors do not.

Prospect national secretary Paula Lamont says the union enters talks in good faith and hopes a resolution can be found. Earlier in October, Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy calls on V&A director Tristram Hunt to become directly involved in negotiations, while V&A Dundee is not part of the dispute and is already an accredited living-wage employer.

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