The ongoing strike at the National Gallery in London is proving highly disruptive for visitors. It began on 11 August, after the gallery outsourced its warding staff to Securitas, a private security firm, triggering fears among employees that they might have their overtime rates cut or even lose their jobs. The strike has led to the closure of half the gallery’s rooms at the height of the tourist season and a 35% drop in visitor numbers, from 485,000 in the same period last year to 317,000 this summer. Gabriele Finaldi, the gallery’s new director, who started on 17 August, faces a major challenge in dealing with the crisis. A spokeswoman says that the exhibition Goya: the Portraits should proceed as normal after it opens on 7 October. Meanwhile, an employment tribunal will in October hear the case of Candy Unwin, a National Gallery employee who served as the representative for the Public and Commercial Services Union, and who was dismissed by the gallery in May.
