Museum staff balloted for strike action in job cuts row
Lucinda Cameron, PA Scotland
Tue, 29 August 2023
Museum workers are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over job cuts.
Unison claims that Glasgow Life is planning to cut 30% of jobs in the city’s museums and collections section which includes venues such as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection.
The jobs affected include curators, conservators, technicians, outreach and learning assistants, collections staff and employees from photography, editorial and design.
Unison has now notified Glasgow Life of the move to ballot nearly 70 members in the affected section from next week until September 26.
The Burrell Collection is among the museums run by Glasgow Life (Jane Barlow/PA)
It said that with other trade unions adopting a similar approach, more than 100 workers are now being asked to vote for strike action.
Brian Smith, Unison Glasgow Branch Secretary, said: “These workers are angry at how Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council are treating them, and by extension the museums loved and enjoyed by the people of Glasgow.
“A 30% cut in jobs in the museums and collections section is huge and will have a very damaging impact on how the collections are maintained, displayed and developed in the future. The loss of community outreach programmes is also unacceptable.
“Politicians should be investing in the city’s world class museums, not slashing jobs.
“Unison members are now being balloted for strike action. Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council need to listen to these workers’ concerns. The council leadership need to reverse these job cuts”.
The dispute has seen a series of protests outside some of Glasgow’s museums and the City Chambers in recent weeks.
More protests are now planned including on September 2 at the Riverside Museum and on Saturday 16 at Kelvingrove Museum.
Glasgow Life has been asked for comment.
Lucinda Cameron, PA Scotland
Tue, 29 August 2023
Museum workers are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over job cuts.
Unison claims that Glasgow Life is planning to cut 30% of jobs in the city’s museums and collections section which includes venues such as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection.
The jobs affected include curators, conservators, technicians, outreach and learning assistants, collections staff and employees from photography, editorial and design.
Unison has now notified Glasgow Life of the move to ballot nearly 70 members in the affected section from next week until September 26.
The Burrell Collection is among the museums run by Glasgow Life (Jane Barlow/PA)
It said that with other trade unions adopting a similar approach, more than 100 workers are now being asked to vote for strike action.
Brian Smith, Unison Glasgow Branch Secretary, said: “These workers are angry at how Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council are treating them, and by extension the museums loved and enjoyed by the people of Glasgow.
“A 30% cut in jobs in the museums and collections section is huge and will have a very damaging impact on how the collections are maintained, displayed and developed in the future. The loss of community outreach programmes is also unacceptable.
“Politicians should be investing in the city’s world class museums, not slashing jobs.
“Unison members are now being balloted for strike action. Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council need to listen to these workers’ concerns. The council leadership need to reverse these job cuts”.
The dispute has seen a series of protests outside some of Glasgow’s museums and the City Chambers in recent weeks.
More protests are now planned including on September 2 at the Riverside Museum and on Saturday 16 at Kelvingrove Museum.
Glasgow Life has been asked for comment.
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