Workers Revolutionary Party - NO TO PAY CUT – say Science Museum strikers

The News Line: News Saturday, 14 June 2008 NO TO PAY CUT – say Science Museum strikers

Pickets outside the Science Museum, South Kensington yesterday striking to defend their pay

Pickets were out in force at the Science Museum in west London yesterday.

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) members joined colleagues from the Prospect trade union, in a second one day strike over the imposition of a below-inflation pay offer for 2007/08 and 2008/09.

Staff working for the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) were also taking action at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford, the National Railway Museum, York, and the Science Museum in Swindon.

Starting salaries are as low as £11,342 and staff are furious over the pay offer which has been delayed by over a year and means that many PCS members will receive significantly less than the headline amount of 3% for 2007-2008 and 2.7% for 2008-2009.

Science Museum PCS branch chair Kris Finney told News Line: ‘People are very upset over having to wait so long for a pay rise, not being given enough information about it for a year, and the level of the rise.

‘This is at a time when the Museum has been as successful as it’s ever been.’

Curator of Transport, Prospect member Dr Dan Albert said: ‘I’m here because the Museum is being mismanaged and the staff are being ill-treated.

‘The pay deal is below inflation. It’s a pay cut, and to call it an increase is an insult to our intelligence.

‘I think there will be further action – things have come to a head. We’ve had overwhelming support for the strike and we are determined to win.’

Prospect president Catherine Donaldson told News Line: ‘This dispute is about a derisory pay offer. Some of the staff are looking at a one per cent increase.’