After months of strike action, security guards at some of London’s biggest museums have secured pay rises ranging from 13% to 23%, it was announced yesterday.
Beginning in October 2024, guards employed by external contractors Wilson James and working at the Natural History, Science and Victoria & Albert Museums staged more than 50 days of walkouts over what they claimed was “stagnant pay“.
The United Voices of the World (UVW) union, which represents the guards, says that the pay rise could add up to £8,000 per year to their salaries, depending on their positions.
A UVW statement said: “Since UVW submitted a pay claim in the fourth quarter of 2024, the guards have gained more ground than they had in the previous ten years combined. This includes overcoming six years of frozen wages, an employer that failed to address low pay and delayed the implementation of the London Living Wage.”
According to the union, in the summer of 2024, prior to beginning strike action, many guards were earning an hourly wage of £11.95. This was 10% below the London Living Wage (LLW)—a voluntary sum calculated to reflect the higher cost of living in the capital. As part of the new pay settlement, guards will receive a base salary of £13.85, the current LLW, which will be back-dated to 1 April of this year.
‘Sheer collective strength’
“This victory shows what happens when workers stand united and refuse to be treated as second-class,” said the UVW’s general secretary, Petros Elia. “Our members at the museums have shown immense courage, taking on powerful institutions and winning real gains in pay and dignity… Through relentless strike action, bold tactics and sheer collective strength, they’ve forced some of the UK’s most powerful cultural institutions to listen.”
In January this year, a UVW spokesperson told The Art Newspaper that around 100 of its members work across the three museums, with all of them employed by Wilson James. Alongside a pay rise, these guards, whose duties include monitoring alarms and access points, responding to suspicious behaviour and assisting with first aid, were seeking a right to sick pay from the first day of illness, and full parity with staff employed directly by the museum.
A Wilson James Spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have reached a positive pay agreement with our two recognised unions at the museums. This outcome reflects our shared commitment to fair pay, constructive dialogue and the delivery of service excellence.
“We would like to thank the parties involved for their collaboration throughout the process, and we look forward to continuing to welcome visitors through the doors of these valued national institutions.”
The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert were contacted for comment.
