Sticker action success at Royal Museums Greenwich

Staff at Royal Museums Greenwich are currently engaged in a pay campaign after receiving a 0% pay award for this financial year. The campaign began with a staff petition calling for a reconsideration of the decision, meaningful engagement with Prospect, which had been lacking for some time, and a commitment to paying the London Living Wage.

The petition gathered signatures from 70% of staff across the organisation in just six weeks. During this time Prospect supported members, reps and the branch committee through organising support and training, helping members shape the campaign and decide next steps.

Following the presentation of the petition to the director, members organised a day of sticker action across the organisation’s four sites on 20 January. The date was deliberately chosen to coincide with the Director’s Brief, when the director addresses staff directly.

Members stepped up across the National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark to organise and distribute stickers. The action required significant preparation, including mapping participation across sites, reassuring members and producing “bust cards” in anticipation of possible pushback from management over uniform policies.

On the morning of the action, distributors at the National Maritime Museum began work over an hour early to organise and distribute stickers, supported by committed members across the other sites. By the end of the day 77% of staff participated, either by wearing stickers onsite or by updating their Microsoft Teams profile pictures.

Participation was visible across front-of-house and back-of-house teams, across sites and across grades of seniority. Almost every member of staff attending the Director’s Brief wore a sticker. When the director addressed the petition but offered no commitment to act on its demands, the response from staff was a notable silence, in contrast to the applause given to other speakers.

Reps described the atmosphere following the action as one of “togetherness” and “power.” At a union social the following week, members from across sites and departments celebrated the success of the action and thanked the organising reps.

One member said:
“We have successfully reminded management that this campaign won’t just go away.”

The pay campaign is ongoing. The branch is planning further communications and actions as members continue to push for fair pay and meaningful engagement with the union.

Over the past year the branch has grown significantly and members say they are determined to keep building that strength as the campaign continues.