Staff at the Victoria & Albert Museum will take two further days of strike action later this month as part of an ongoing row over pay and working conditions.
The PCS and Prospect unions both announced that members at the V&A’s main site in South Kensington, west London, would walk out on 25 and 26 September.
It comes after the charity closed its three other sites in London – Young V&A, V&A East and V&A Storehouse – on 4 and 5 September due to industrial action.
It is not yet clear how many staff will walk out later this month and the V&A is yet to decide whether the museum would be able to remain open on the affected days.
The two unions have almost 800 members among the V&A’s 1,250-strong workforce spread across its six sites in England and Scotland.
Staff have demanded 1.5 times pay on bank holidays, an improved pay offer for workers on band six or above and for the V&A to become a Real Living Wage-accredited employer, as well as improved working conditions in extreme heat.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said: “Our members have been left with no choice but to take strike action by a senior management which continues to not engage seriously on our very reasonable demands.
“Directors at V&A continue to demonstrate their lack of respect for the very people who make the museum what it is – its dedicated, highly qualified staff.
“The V&A can still avoid this strike, but it needs actual effort to meet our terms and for senior management to demonstrate that they are serious about wanting to find a solution.”
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the PCS, said: “V&A workers have been left with no choice but to continue taking strike action because management has failed to properly address their important concerns.
“Our members are standing together because they deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and to have their voices heard. We expect V&A management to take this dispute seriously and get back around the table with PCS to find a resolution.”
A V&A spokesperson said: “We deeply regret that the trade unions have voted for strike action.
“We have been negotiating with them in good faith since February and have met the majority of their demands with a significantly improved offer, which we believe is fair, competitive and affordable.
“We value our staff enormously and remain fully committed to providing safe, supportive working environments in all our museums.
“We remain available for negotiations with our trade union colleagues.”