Senior managers at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield have rejected a proposal from striking workers to bring a long-running strike to an end.
Frustrated staff put forward the plan after bosses tabled a bizarre offer that could have seen them disciplined for striking when they returned to work.
In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that employers cannot discipline their staff for taking part in legal strike action.
The museum has turned down the workers’ suggestion and without any alternative, which UNISON says is another example of poor leadership at the top of the organisation.
During the dispute, the museum has spent thousands of pounds on security guards who physically assaulted striking workers* and chief executive Lynn Dunning called the police to the picket line, the union adds.
Senior figures have said the counter-offer made by staff is unaffordable. But the union says the museum is refusing to disclose financial information to back up their claim.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Rianne Hooley said: “Museum workers are doing all they can to find a solution to this dispute. They’re desperate to get back to doing the jobs they love.
“Frustratingly, museum managers continue to treat them with no respect. Not only did they try to insert a clause in a pay offer meaning striking staff would be disciplined when they returned, they’ve also refused to consider the counter-offer.
“It’s all well and good saying the suggestion isn’t affordable – but refusing to show any proof of that raises questions.
“These workers are determined to secure a pay deal that’s fair and protects the future of the museum. It’s about time managers showed a similar level of commitment to getting this sorted.”
More than 40 workers have been on strike at the museum since August 2025 in a pay dispute.
Notes:
– Staff voted to reject the most recent pay offer from the museum last week, due to a line that says the museum will investigate staff and discipline them when they return to work. More information can be found here.
– *The security guards were subcontracted by a private security firm. Once presented with video footage by UNISON captured on body-worn cameras, the private security firm withdrew the security guards. The museum failed to act when complaints about the conduct of the security guards were made.
– UNISON believes the museum has spent more than £100,000 on private security during the strike – more than ten times the amount of money it would cost to settle the dispute. The union has called on the museum to publish figures of exactly how much has been spent. More information is available here.
– Details on the police being called to the picket line can be found here.
– Staff originally walked out on 20 August 2025 and are currently due to be on strike until Friday 26 June 2026.
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