An ongoing strike at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield could be settled for a fraction of the cost managers are spending to block a fair pay rise, says UNISON today (Tuesday).
The union estimates that by the end of a four-week walkout, bosses will have paid up to five times more than the modest increase low-paid workers want.
More than 40 members of staff began their industrial action last week in a dispute over pay, with the strike scheduled to run until at least Sunday 14 September. They include guides who are veterans of the year-long miners’ strike four decades ago.
But the museum is choosing to rack up tens of thousands of pounds to bring in private security and make alternative visitor arrangements, when it could resolve the dispute for far less, UNISON says.
Managers proposed an uplift of 80p an hour or 5% for all workers, whichever is the greater, in a meeting called in response to the strike announcement. But that came after they backtracked on a previous pledge to recommend the museum’s board of trustees should accept £1 an hour or 5%.
UNISON has made clear it is ready and willing to meet with museum chief executive Lynn Dunning and other senior managers at any time to try to find a way to end the dispute.
But the union says the chief executive has shown no sign of wanting to find a solution, has made provocative comments about staff and says the 20p an hour difference for some workers was “unaffordable”.
UNISON believes it would cost around £10,000 to make up the difference, yet the museum will have clocked up extra spending amounting to almost £50,000 by the time current strike dates end next month.
The museum has brought in a security firm for the duration of the strike, thought to be costing £1,200 a day*, that would total around £33,600 over the four-week period, the union says.
UNISON has been told the museum has also spent £15,000 to hire a land train for six days, as underground tours are unable to run during the strike.
This spending is wasteful, shows a lack of respect for dedicated staff and shows the chief executive has little interest in resolving the dispute or spending the budget wisely, the union adds.
It also contradicts the museum’s own statement which claims it “remains committed to working closely with union representatives in the hope of a resolution”, as does the chief executive telling striking workers she’ll “never” return to negotiations, says UNISON.
The union says the chair of trustees should step in to unblock the process.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside head of local government Tony Pearson said: “It’s bad enough that museum staff feel so undervalued and underappreciated they feel their only option is to strike. No one takes that decision lightly.
“But to make things worse, the chief executive has accused workers of spreading ‘propaganda’ on the picket line and has refused to come back to the negotiating table. She’s treated staff abysmally.
“They aren’t asking for much. It’s certainly nowhere near the eyewatering amount being spent by the museum to stoke this dispute further.
“For this to be resolved, the chief executive must apologise to staff and get back round the table to find a solution. Even better, she should step aside and let someone else sort it.”
Notes:
– *The figures have been published on social media by the local ward councillor. You can find them here.
– In March, the National Coal Mining Museum put forward a 5% pay offer for all staff, which was rejected. A second offer was made in June via Acas talks of a £1 per hour uplift for mine guides and 5% for everyone else. UNISON said this had the potential effect of giving a greater pay rise to men (who make up the team of mine guides) than women employed elsewhere at the museum.
– UNISON suggested 5% or £1 per hour for all staff, whichever is greater, which the museum’s management said would be put forward as a pay rise suggestion to the board of trustees with a recommendation for acceptance. That was withdrawn 11 days later.
– The strike ballot closed on 30 July 2025. In the vote, 73.9% of staff backed strike action and 94.9% backed action short of a strike. The turnout was 95.1%.
– Staff began the strike on Wednesday (20 August). It will last for four weeks. The picket line will be outside the entrance to the National Coal Mining Museum (New Rd, Overton, Wakefield WF4 4RH) from 9am.
– The national minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over in the UK is £12.21, as of 1 April 2025. Mine guides typically earn around £12.86 an hour, and many staff are on £12.60 per hour.
– UNISON says the three highest paid managers at the museum are on a combined salary of around £250k. The pay gap between the highest paid employee and the lowest is thought to be more than £120k.
– The museum has made an operating surplus of more than half a million pounds (£596,659). It has also been in surplus for the preceding four financial years. The museum has £10 million in reserves. UNISON believes the £1 per hour or 5% option would only add approximately £150k to the existing pay bill, still leaving the museum with an operating surplus of more than £400k. The museum has provided no evidence to disprove the union’s calculations.
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