V&A Plans Voluntary Exit Scheme After September Strikes Over Pay
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is introducing a voluntary exit program for its employees following strike actions related to pay and working conditions. Members of the PCS and Prospect unions participated in strikes on September 25 and 26, after previous walkouts on September 4 and 5, primarily due to issues at the V&A East Storehouse. A representative mentioned the impact of inflation and decreased visitor spending, alongside a £59.9m grant-in-aid from the UK government for 2025-26. To manage costs, the museum is considering this exit scheme. The PCS has challenged V&A director Tristram Hunt's statements about pay raises. The museum has proposed an average increase of 4.18% and asserts that all employees earn the London Living Wage. No additional strike actions have been planned.
Key facts
- The V&A is planning a voluntary exit scheme open to staff across the museum.
- PCS and Prospect held strike action at the V&A's South Kensington site on 25 and 26 September.
- Union members walked out at East Storehouse, East Museum and Young V&A on 4 and 5 September.
- The V&A East Storehouse in Stratford opened last spring.
- PCS claimed the institution projects cumulative operational deficits of £19m by 2030, which the V&A did not confirm.
- The V&A received £59.9m in government grant-in-aid for 2025-26, an increase of £3.7m, plus a £5.2m Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund award.
- PCS disputed Tristram Hunt's claim of an average 4.18% pay rise, saying most staff were offered 3.25%.
- The V&A says its latest offer includes an average 4.18% rise, 6.9% for the lowest-paid, a bank holiday rate of 1.5 and a commitment to review London Living Wage accreditation by December.
Entities
Artists
- Tristram Hunt
- Mike Clancy
Institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- V&A
- PCS
- Prospect
- V&A East Storehouse
- V&A East Museum
- Young V&A
- Arts Professional
- The Art Newspaper
- Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund
- UK government
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
- Prospect Union
- Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Public and Commercial Services Union
- Real London Living Wage
- Public and Commercial Services (PCS)
- Royal Museums Greenwich
- London Museum
- Museums Association
- Office for National Statistics
- Artnet
- Wedgwood Collection
- University of Cape Town
- Art in Context
- V&A East
- Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union
- Prospect union
- BBC
- Trade Unions
- V&A South Kensington
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- South Kensington
- Stratford
- Bethnal Green
- Cape Town
- South Africa