PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union) members at the Tate Galleries have voted overwhelmingly for a week of strike action in a dispute over pay and terms and conditions.
In a ballot that closed on 11 November, the members voted for industrial action by a margin of 98% on a turnout of 87.72%.
Over 150 members will strike from 26 November to 2 December, raising the prospect of reduced services across the Tate’s venues in London, Liverpool and St Ives, including potential disruptions to the opening of a new Turner and Constable exhibition at Tate Britain.
The Tate’s current pay offer of 3% is lower than the Civil Service Pay Remit and does not address ongoing issues of low pay at the institution. In a recent survey, 72.2% of PCS members at the Tate said that their current salary is not enough to meet basic living costs.
Staff have already undergone a restructure this year (the second since 2020) which saw redundancies across the whole organisation, as well as the closure of staff canteens at Tate Britain and Tate Modern, which included subsidised meals for staff, and the withdrawal of access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme for new starters, replacing it with a plan offering significantly weaker terms.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “With many Tate directors receiving six-figure pay packages and five-figure bonuses while staff are condemned to in-work poverty, it is no wonder we have seen such an overwhelming vote for strike action.
“Our members have rightly rejected another insulting pay offer from senior Tate management, and now stand ready to take strike action that will severely impact gallery operations.”