Prospect shines light on pay and conditions in heritage sector at TUC Congress
Prospect has put the heritage sector at the forefront of this year’s TUC Congress agenda in Liverpool, submitting a motion to Congress and hosting a fringe event on the union’s “World Class Heritage, Second Class Pay” campaign.
Alison McGovern MP addressing Prospect’s heritage fringe event at TUC Congress 2023
Speaking on Wednesday, NEC member Freddie Brown moved Prospect’s motion, “Time to value arts, heritage and creative industries.” He described how “brutal funding cuts have led to closures and cutbacks” and called for an end to the “regime of second class pay” that has shrunk workers’ wallets.
The motion was passed unanimously by delegates, demonstrating strong support across the union movement for our heritage sector and those working in it.
Freddie Brown at TUC Congress 2023
On Tuesday, Prospect hosted a fringe event for Congress delegates, bringing together a panel of speakers to discuss “What’s the future for heritage? The fight for fair pay and better funding across our heritage sector.”
Opening the panel, Prospect Negotiations Officer Jo Livesey praised members working in the sector, noting that heritage institutions “are not just propelled by artifacts but by individuals who share their expertise with us all… but often to the cost of their own financial stability”. She set out how 42% of those working in the sector earn less than the real living wage and the impact low pay has had on motivation, morale and the attraction and retention of talent in the sector.
Dr John Wilson, a Prospect rep at National Museums Liverpool, provided insight into the contrast between qualification levels and pay in the sector – revealing that most curators have PhDs but that they earn much less than their similarly qualified counterparts in other sectors. He spoke of Prospect’s successes organising in the sector and of wins on pay and grading – and called on workers in the sector to join Prospect and bolster the fight for better pay and conditions.
Another Prospect rep, Lewis Robinson of the National Trust branch, set out how despite 15 years of working in the sector and holding a Masters degree, it was not until 2022 that his pay exceeded £20,000. But, he said, “collective bargaining through Prospect has delivered results”, highlighting Prospect’s negotiation of a 5.5% pay award in 2022 and a further 7.5% in 2023.
Sandra Penketh, National Museums Liverpool’s Director of Art Galleries and Collection Care, said that museums “are about the past, but also about the future” and highlighted the need for funding that enables long-term planning for buildings, collections and staff. Museums, she said, provided a place for children of all backgrounds to develop a lifelong love of history, arts and culture.
Jay McKenna, North West Regional Secretary of the TUC, talked of bringing his own children to Liverpool’s museums, and highlighted the importance of cultural attractions in bringing people to visit and live in cities like Liverpool. Museums, he argued, are not nice-to-haves – they are must haves.
The audience then heard from Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, Alison McGovern MP, who spoke of how she’d worked for the Art Fund before becoming a politician and the importance of the sector to her own career. Alison argued that the sector isn’t just one of the fastest growing parts of the economy but that it can play an essential role in building a better politics and a stronger democracy: “We can’t do politics well if we don’t understand our history, our identity, and where we come from.”
The Shadow Minister – who represents the nearby constituency of Wirral South – noted that the venue’s story wasn’t just profoundly moving because of the terrible, bloody story it tells – “but also how it is told by an expert curator”. McGovern highlighted the Labour Party’s proposals for a New Deal for Working People in an Employment Bill that she said would ban zero hours contracts, make it easier for trade unions to organise and further collective bargaining in the sector.
Closing the panel, Prospect’s Senior Deputy General Secretary Sue Ferns highlighted recent Prospect polling to the meeting: “60% of those polled were concerned about funding cuts leading to the closure of local heritage attractions. 71% of people said it was important to have knowledgeable staff or subject experts on hand – these are our members you have heard from today.”
She went on to say the public need to know that the museums they visit are powered by “highly skilled people on disgracefully low wages” and this was the focus of Prospect’s campaigning.
Find out more about Prospect’s world class heritage, second class pay campaign.
