Strikers on the picket line at London museums
Striking security guards at the Science and Natural History museums in London held lively pickets last Saturday.
They whistled and chanted and waved placards which read, “No longer invisible” and “When migrants rise, we all rise”.
The strikers, who are members of the United Voices of the World union, have struck for six days after a 96 percent vote for strike action.
Striker Jukub told Socialist Worker, “We are fighting for fair pay. I have worked here for 20 years, and our pay has been going down and down.”
The security guards, many of whom are migrant workers, oversee the safety of thousands of visitors and protect priceless artefacts.
They regularly deal with medical emergencies and security issues.
Striker Michelle said, “We are on strike for three things. We want £16 an hour because our pay has not kept up with the cost of everything. We want sick pay from day one. And we want five weeks’ holiday a year.
“I started working in the Science Museum back in 2000. We were all outsourced in 2011. I kept the same pay and conditions, but new workers have worse contracts. I took redundancy and came back part time, so my conditions changed too.
“In September, we got a pay rise—from £11.95 to £13.15 an hour. But it wasn’t backdated and it’s not enough. We want our employers, Wilson James, to talk to us.”
While security guards’ wages rose just 1.2 percent between 2019 and 2021, contractor Wilson James saw profits rocket to £7.6 million.
Juma Ssempijja is a union rep. He said, “We are fighting for fair pay. We are underpaid, but the company we work for has doubled their profits. Inflation goes up but our wages just stagnate.
“More than 80 percent of the security guards are in the union but the management refuses to talk to us. That’s why we are making a noise, so the Science Museum can hear our cries and come to the table.
“Now we are standing up, everyday people are joining us. And we are getting positive feedback from other security guards. The guards at the Victoria and Albert Museum are talking about joining us.
“People feel the pressure, but they stay quiet. When you join a union, you come together and that lifts everyone up. The energy grows.”
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