Glasgow museum workers set to strike in October over job cuts

Museum workers in Glasgow will strike later this month over planned job cuts which they say will result “in a loss of skills, knowledge and essential care”.

Trade union UNISON has announced 70 members are set to walk out for five days from Monday, October 23 as the campaign against cuts escalates. Members have held protests outside city museums in recent months, including the Gallery of Modern Art while Banksy’s work was on display.

They have said 37 jobs, nearly a third of workers in the museum and collections team, will be lost under the current plan. Roles set to go include curators, conservators, outreach assistants, digital photographers and technicians.

A spokesman for Glasgow Life, which runs museums on behalf of the council, said it has written to UNISON to arrange a meeting to “establish whether there is a solution to the current dispute that would avert any strike action”.

“We look forward to receiving their proposals for budget reductions that could be considered as alternatives to the current savings options approved by Glasgow City Council,” he added.

Visitors will be alerted about any disruption on Glasgow Life’s website and social media channels “in the coming weeks”. The council agreed to cut £1.5m from museum services when it set a budget for 2023/24 earlier this year.

Brian Smith, from UNISON, said disruption to the city’s museums will be “inevitable”. “Our museums need more investment, not less. The council must reverse these cuts to jobs and services.”

Workers have said public programmes would be vastly reduced as a result of the £1.5m savings. In response to the plan, they said future exhibitions would “require the increased use of private conservation contractors at a substantial additional cost”.

A statement released by UNISON added the proposals will “impoverish the quality of museum experiences for the people of Glasgow”.

“Losing those who move objects and design and build the displays and exhibitions which keep local people coming back, will result in dull and stagnant spaces.”

They added there is a risk that museums become “spaces of elite privilege” as community outreach services would be stopped and free facilitated weekend activities would be “greatly reduced”.

The Glasgow Life spokesman said the charity’s annual service fee had been cut by the council. “As a result, we must make £7.1m worth of savings in this financial year,” he added.

“The measures identified within our museums and collections service, which were approved by the council, are a direct consequence of the continued pressures on public sector finance.

“Senior museums officers have met with Unison and our other trade unions repeatedly this year to explain the financial context for Glasgow Life’s operating climate and to discuss the implications of the planned staffing reduction within Glasgow Life’s Museums service.

“To achieve a balanced budget, and without additional funding, our only option would be to take the savings agreed in museums from elsewhere in Glasgow Life.”

He said Glasgow Life recognises “how valued our museums and collections are” and “understands the concern any changes may cause”.

The savings “add up to around 9% of our service fee from the council and ensure none of our facilities will have to close”, the spokesman added.

“Wherever possible, we have identified ways of making savings by reducing, rather than losing, Glasgow Life services, programmes, and events; retaining the potential to rebuild them in the future.”