European Museums Face Staffing Crisis Amid Record Heatwave
So, back in late July, after a crazy heatwave, staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Museums Greenwich decided to strike over their pay and work conditions. This highlighted their worries about how unprepared the museums were for extreme weather. More than 300 employees from four different V&A sites took part in this vote, bringing up problems like not having enough drinking water during the heat and ongoing issues with their pay and work environment. The Public and Commercial Services Union is pushing for public galleries to shut down when temperatures hit over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and wants better protections for the staff, especially those at the V&A East Store.
Key facts
- Staff at V&A and Royal Museums Greenwich voted to strike in late July.
- The strike vote was over pay and working conditions.
- The vote occurred as European cities recovered from a record-breaking heatwave.
- More than 300 workers across four V&A sites cast ballots.
- Grievances included limited access to drinking water during 100-degree days.
- The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) made demands to leadership.
- Demands included closing public galleries when temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F).
- Other demands included heat mitigation measures and allowances for V&A East Stor
Entities
Institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
- Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG)
- Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom