Earlier this month, outsourced security guards at the Science and Natural History museums in London voted overwhelmingly to strike over pay and conditions. While directly-employed staff get frequent paid breaks, security staff are sub-contracted and have much worse pay and conditions. They work for Essex company Wilson James Ltd, which employs around 5000 staff and made a profit of nearly 15 million pounds over the last couple of years.

The guards, represented by the United Voices of the World union (UVW), were recently awarded a small rise to £13.15 per hour, which they say was very overdue and is actually a real terms cut due to inflation. They have calculated that they should be getting £16 to keep up with the cost of living, and are also demanding full sick pay, and an extra week’s holiday per year, but so far Wilson James have refused to negotiate.

Last Friday they began their first three day strike, and held a noisy rally on Saturday morning which attracted hundreds of people in solidarity, including members of CWU, Goldsmith’s UCU, IWW, RMT, and IWGB unions as well as some activists who have been campaigning against fossil-fuel sponsorship of the museums.

Some of the guards have worked at the museums for many years, and are striking for the first time in their lives. UVW has learned that Wilson James may be hiring agency staff to cover during the strike, and so they have instructed the Public Interest Law Centre to serve notice of a possible private prosecution which would be a test case under newly restored employment laws [Reg 7 of Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003 and Section 8 of Accessories and Abettors Act 1861].

United Voices of the World has a very successful track record of organising precarious workers, such as cleaners and security guards. These are often sectors that hire immigrant labour on low wages with poor terms and conditions, providing cheap outsourced labour to large and profitable companies, and union activity is often actively repressed by unscrupulous employers.

The protest rally was on the same day that thousands marched in London decrying migrant workers, blaming them for low wages and other problems in this country, but the message from the security workers was that when migrants rise, we all rise, and that they are actually at the forefront of the fight for better pay and better conditions for all. Many of those at the rally then took to the streets and marched into central London to join the Stand Up To Racism counter-protest.

The workers have started another three-day strike today, with a rally planned on Thursday morning.

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