Workers at a London art gallery currently hosting an exhibition by Leonardo Da Vinci are to go on strike in a row over jobs again this week.
The National Gallery will endeavour to keep as many gallery rooms open as possible
Staff at London’s National Gallery staged a two-hour walkout, claiming that job cuts mean they are no longer able to do their work properly, on Thursday.
Officials said the government axed 15 per cent from the gallery’s budget as part of its spending review in October 2010, amounting to £4 million for the period up to 2014/15, £1.5 million through staffing.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “As well as hosting high-profile exhibitions like Da Vinci, the gallery is home to some incredibly valuable works of art, not just in monetary terms but in their contribution to culture and our society.
“But instead of investing in the arts, and the people who look after them, the Government has imposed massive spending cuts on our museums and galleries to pay for an economic crisis caused by bankers, and we are now seeing the impact of this on the National Gallery and elsewhere.” A gallery spokesman said: “The National Gallery will endeavour to keep as many gallery rooms open as possible, prioritising the Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition to fulfil its obligation to people who already have tickets for that day.”
“The proposed strikes are about invigilation methods. The National Gallery has increased the number of rooms in which a gallery assistant invigilates to two rooms rather than one.
“This is not unusual or controversial in the museum and gallery field. “Quite the contrary, the majority of galleries within London, throughout the UK, across Europe and far beyond all employ similar systems. The change has been made because the National Gallery and others believe this to be a more effective and reliable means of invigilation and it has been implemented with the full approval of the current national security adviser.
“The security of the collection is of paramount concern to the National Gallery.”
Staff will strike between 4 and 6 p.m. today, with further industrial action threatened next month.