In a powerful demonstration of solidarity, frontline staff at the Tate galleries have voted overwhelmingly to strike, rejecting a pay offer that would plunge them deeper into financial hardship. The move is a direct response to an institution that values its directors' bonuses over the well-being of the very workers who make its world-class exhibitions possible.
An incredible 98% of Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members, on a massive 87% turnout, have mandated strike action, sending an unequivocal message to management that they will no longer accept poverty pay. The strike, set for 26 November to 2 December, is a necessary step after Tate’s management offered a derisory 2-3% pay increase—a significant real-terms pay cut during a crushing cost-of-living crisis.
This stand for dignity exposes a stark inequality at the heart of the Tate. While directors pocket six-figure salaries and lavish bonuses, they condemn their own staff to in-work poverty. PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote rightly labelled the offer “insulting,” pointing out the grotesque imbalance between the boardroom and the gallery floor.
The union is demanding a pay rise that actually keeps up with inflation and the restoration of vital benefits, such as a staff canteen, which management has stripped away. This attack on workers’ conditions extends to new starters, who have been unfairly locked out of the civil service pension scheme since 2021.
In a feeble attempt to justify this unfair deal, a Tate spokesperson cited "careful savings," yet their priorities are clear. Offering a paltry 3% to the lowest paid—while slashing 40 roles in a previous restructure—proves that the institution’s financial model is built on exploiting its workforce. The claim that a 0% increase for directors helps "balance the overall costs" is a hollow gesture when their pay packages remain astronomically high.
This strike is a last resort for workers who have been left with no other choice. If management continues to ignore their legitimate demands, the action will continue into the new year, disrupting major shows. The Tate's world-renowned reputation is built by its staff, and it is high time their pay and conditions reflected their essential contribution.
This struggle at the Tate is part of a wider movement across the UK's cultural sector, where workers are standing up to austerity and demanding their fair share, proving that when unions stand together, they can challenge injustice.
Source: The Guardian