Museum staff strike over 'devastating' contract changes

Workers at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery are on strike in a dispute over pay and contracts.

Staff were outsourced from Brighton & Hove City Council in 2020 but kept their contracts that set pay, annual leave and other rights.

Their new employer, Brighton Pavilion and Museums Trust, has instructed staff to sign new contracts, which "pull them out" of these terms and leave them "vulnerable to contractual changes", the GMB union said.

Brighton and Hove Museums said that it needed to alter staff contracts due to "significant rising costs on top of cuts to public funding".

"Our priority is to protect jobs, keep all sites open and ensure the long-term sustainability of Brighton and Hove's historic buildings, so they can continue to be enjoyed for many years to come," a spokesperson added.

A day of industrial action was previously held by staff earlier this month.

Terance Reece, who has worked on the estate for 23 years, called the possible cuts to pay "devastating".

"We are not asking for more," he told the BBC. "We just don't want less. We just want to be able to survive."

He added that staff had already set up a foodbank for colleagues who were struggling.

As a result of the walk out, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is closed until Thursday. The Royal Pavilion, located on the same site, remains open as usual.

GMB regional organiser Declan MacIntyre urged the trust to stop the "ill thought out" plans and to agree to consider other cost saving measures, if required.

"If they can't run the buildings without taking money out of our members' pockets, the contract needs to return to Brighton & Hove City Council," he said.

MacIntyre added that staff were "best placed" to look after the buildings and collections, which he added needed to be "prioritised over everything".

Brighton & Hove City Council has been approached for comment.

The Brighton Pavilion and Museums Trust said that under the new contracts, staff would continue to have access to important benefits, such as holiday, parental leave, sick pay, pensions and pay rises.

"There are changes to these benefits, but they are minimal," a spokesperson added.

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