V&A Storehouse staff vote 100% for strike action over break time

Workers at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Storehouse site in east London have recorded a unanimous vote for strike action, according to the trade union Prospect. The ballot saw almost 88% of eligible staff cast a vote, and every vote cast supported industrial action. The result follows a separate ballot across the museum’s other London locations, where 83% of participants voted in favour of striking.

Background to the dispute

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Prospect says the dispute centres on the amount of time staff receive for toilet use and hydration. The union argues that collections access officers, who manage the “order an object” service, are required to work through the day without scheduled breaks. A Prospect member told the Guardian that employees receive only one unpaid lunch hour despite long periods on their feet and manual handling duties. The same source added that dehydration and the inability to use bathroom facilities have become routine problems for the team.

Union demands

Prospect is pressing for two paid breaks each day, describing the request as “extremely reasonable”. The union also seeks a minimum 4% pay rise for staff earning above the living wage, time‑and‑a‑half rates for work on bank holidays, and formal accreditation as a London living‑wage employer within the next year. In addition, Prospect calls for improved food provision at the museum’s east‑London sites.

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V&A response

The museum has previously said that all employees have access to water, toilet facilities and regular breaks. In response to a heatwave earlier in the summer, V&A management introduced extra rest periods, staff rotations and temporary gallery closures. The institution also noted that it pays every employee at least the London living wage of £14.80 per hour, although some outsourced contractors remain below that threshold. V&A officials have indicated that the museum will review its living‑wage accreditation status later this year.

“We get just one unpaid lunch hour, even though we’re on our feet for long hours, interacting with the public and doing a lot of manual labour.”

Prospect member, Guardian interview

Mike Clancy, Prospect’s general secretary, said the ballot reflects a “shocking lack of respect” for staff. He warned that the timing of any industrial action remains undecided, pending further negotiations between the union and museum management.