Response to industrial action

National Museums Liverpool (NML) greatly values its loyal staff, and we understand the importance of fair remuneration for the hard work and dedication they give to the organisation.

We are disappointed with the outcome of the PCS ballot, particularly as we have reached out to them numerous times over the past month to engage in discussions but they have only just responded to our request We plan to meet with PCS this week and remain hopeful of a resolution.

We have worked hard with our recognised unions over the past four years to improve our pay and conditions for all colleagues, and as part of this process have prioritised pay for our lowest paid colleagues, committing to real living wages and improving holiday allowances. According to the stats PCS provide us with, 90% of their members are within our pay levels A-C, who have received between a 30% and 11% pay increase during this four-year period.

As a charity, NML is not immune to the economic crisis, and it would be impossible for us to cover the £1,500 cost of living payment agreed by the Cabinet Office for all civil servants, on top of the pay awards we have already given. NML has a pay freedom, meaning we are not governed by the civil service pay remit. This also means that NML staff are not civil servants, and we therefore didn’t receive any additional funding to cover the payment, unlike some arms-length government bodies.

The financial stability of our organisation is crucial for the preservation and promotion of our shared cultural heritage, and this additional payment would set us back a further £750,000, placing us below the minimum legal reserve levels when we are already forecasting a deficit of £2million.