British Museum cleaning staff go on strike

 
29 October 2012

Cleaners and maintenance staff at the British Museum will go on strike today in a row over privatising their work.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union and Unite said staff at the London museum feared their pay and conditions could be seriously cut if maintenance work is contracted out.

The unions, which represent around 50 of the museum's cleaning and facilities management staff, believe senior managers are close to confirming the outsourcing will go ahead, with the new contract starting next April.

Today's strike will be between 7am and 10am, with plans for more action next Monday, when a museum members' event is being held.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With the cost of living soaring the last thing these low-paid workers need is a private company taking over and cutting their wages and working conditions to boost profits and line shareholders' pockets.

"Cleaners and other museum staff work incredibly hard to maintain this prestigious and popular cultural attraction and we know this is appreciated by the millions of visitors the museum attracts every year. Introducing the profit motive is not only unnecessary, it risks undermining these important services to the public."

Unite regional officer Carolyn Simpson said: "Unite will not stand idly by whilst our members and this vital museum service is sold-off to an external provider.

"Without our members carrying out the cleaning and servicing of the buildings and exhibits, the British Museum's standing as a world class heritage site is in danger of becoming second class. We will not allow these jobs be outsourced without a fight."

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