Key information
Publication type: General
Dear Mr. Dobson, Mr. Herr, and Mr. Blatchford,
I am writing to express my concern regarding the treatment of the security guards at both the Science and Natural History Museums, and to urge you to engage with your dedicated guards to address their grievances.
I'm sure you can agree that your security guards, many of whom have served the museums for decades, are crucial to ensuring the safety of millions of visitors each year and protecting invaluable exhibits. Despite their essential role, I have been told that they have faced significant real-term pay cuts in recent years.
More specifically, your security guards have relayed that they have only seen their pay rise by 30 per cent in the last 13 years, a rate which is dwarfed by inflation levels in that same period.
It is particularly concerning that Wilson James has so far refused to negotiate with the security guards' union, United Voices of the World (UVW), to address their very reasonable demands for:
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A fair wage of £16 an hour
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Full sick pay from day one
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An additional week of annual leave
Fair pay and workplace wellbeing are two of the four pillars that make up the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard, and I would hope that two of our city’s premier institutions would be eager to set the highest bar possible for all their employees. These demands reflect a fair and necessary adjustment to bring their terms and conditions in line with modern standards of employment, recognising the vital service they provide.
I urge you to reconsider your position and engage in constructive negotiations with UVW to avoid disruptive strike action and ensure that the security guards are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve. Supporting these workers is the right thing to do.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am happy to meet, along with representatives from the union, to discuss further and help in any way I can to ensure a swift resolution.
Yours sincerely,
Zack Polanski
Green Party Member of the London Assembly