The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) preemptively closed three of its London locations last Friday, September 4, as its unionized staff went on a planned, two-day strike that weekend. Making up over half of the organization’s workforce, some 700 workers organized under the Prospect Union’s heritage division and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) took part in the strike.
The strike led the V&A to close the East Museum, the East Storehouse, and the Young V&A (its children’s museum in Bethnal Green) through Saturday, September 5.
Many staff members rallied outside the three locations throughout the action, equipped with punny and confrontational signs calling for fair pay and access to water.
“The decision to close three V&A sites underlines the point we have been making; our members are critical to the operation of the museum,” said Prospect’s National Secretary for heritage, Paula Lamont, in a statement shared with Hyperallergic.
She also said that Prospect won’t hesitate to execute further strikes, including one at the V&A flagship in South Kensington, if necessary.
