Outside the main entrance of Tate Britain in London, pickets are holding up signs reading: “Treat staff like art! Handle with care” and “Goodwill doesn’t pay the bills.” Visitors are being warned that although the art museum is open, some spaces may have to close at short notice, The Guardian reports.
Susete Almeida, chair of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at Tate Britain, says there is anger that the museum has offered below-inflation pay increases for two years in a row, as many employees struggle with financial problems.
However, a spokesperson for Tate, which includes Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives and Tate Liverpool, said the group had "made careful savings this year to invest in staff salaries and still achieve a balanced budget".
This means a three percent pay increase for most roles, while managers will receive a zero percent pay increase to balance the overall costs, according to the spokesperson.
