By Callum MacRae
A demonstration tomorrow, February 14th, organised by the Public and Commercial Services union will highlight cuts and privatisation at London’s national cultural institutions.
Starting at BBC Broadcasting House at 11am it will include a demo outside Tate Modern from 1.45pm over an attempt by private firm Securitas to prevent the union from representing zero-hours staff.
The security company took over the work to manage zero-hours visitor assistants at the Tate in 2014 and is now trying to tear up an agreement that the union is recognised to negotiate over pay and conditions. The union is calling for the contract to be brought back in house.
The march will also take in the National Gallery where the sell-off of visitor services led to a long-running strike last year. There, Securitas is also failing to honour its commitment to employ new staff on comparable terms and conditions to existing workers.
Entertainment unions including Bectu, Equity and the Musicians’ Union are supporting the walk that will also stop at venues such as the English National Opera, Royal Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, the BFI, National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe.
The Valentine’s Day event is being held under the Show Culture Some Love campaign for the TUC’s heart unions week.
It will coincide with a protest outside Birmingham Museum and Arts Gallery from 1.15pm.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our cultural heritage is under attack from Tory cuts and privatisation. Instead of opening up our museums to private security firms to run down conditions, the government should be investing in the arts and the staff who work in them.”