Tomorrow’s World, Yesterday’s Wages

From People And Nature, Staff at the Science Museum in London went on strike Friday demanding a pay rise, after seven years of pay settlements below the rate of inflation.

By Gabriel Levy

The lowest paid staff earn less than the London living wage – while the Museum Director has had 5% a year increases for the past five years, plus an annual bonus of more than £20,000.

“Our pay has decreased by 13% in real terms in the past four years alone”, said the Prospect Union, which represents the workers

“Science Museum Group employees are among the lowest paid in the museum sector.

Unlike other national museums, SMG does not pay the Living Wage Foundation’s rate of £10.55 an hour in London and £9 an hour elsewhere.

“This year, SMG offered a pay increase of 1.5% to more than 75% of its staff – well below the rate of inflation again.”

The Science Museum is one of the great educational establishments of which London can be proud.

It is always full of school pupils – and many of the staff on strike yesterday work as “explainers”, those brilliant people who understand science and understand school children, who are on hand to talk about the exhibits.

Shame on the puffed-up parasites in the museum’s management who treat these wonderful people with contempt.

When I walked past the science museum at about 5.30pm yesterday, the pickets were still making a fantastic noise. The passing crowds loved it.

Pickets outside the Science Museum

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