Science Museum Group (SMG) staff, with the exception of the Director, have had below inflation pay rises for at least the past seven years. Prospect union has tried to negotiate, but SMG says it cannot improve this year’s pay offer because of financial constraints. The financial accounts for 2018-2019, which are publicly available, show that the group made a surplus of around £4.4m – including £1.3m from a new tax credit which the SMG can spend as it chooses.

Why staff in the Science Museum Group are taking action

• Our pay has decreased by 13% in real terms in the past four years alone.
• SMG employees are among the lowest paid in the museum sector.
• Unlike other national museums, SMG does not pay the Living Wage Foundation’s rate of £10.55 an hour in London and £9 an hour elsewhere.
• This year, SMG offered a pay increase of 1.5% to more than 75% of its staff – well below the rate of inflation again. The lowest paid staff have been offered more, but are still paid almost 4% below the Living Wage Foundation’s rates.
• The Director has received an average pay increase of 5% a year for the past five years and a yearly bonus of between £20,000 and £25,000.

Why does it matter?

SMG staff are passionate about what we do. But we feel overworked, undervalued and unable to afford to continue with the jobs we love because of the pay cuts, reductions in benefits and loss of staff welfare facilities.

The Science Museum Group includes: 

• Science Museum, London 
• Science and Industry Museum, Manchester 
• Science and Media Museum, Bradford 
• Railway Museum, York 
• Blythe House, London 
• National Collections Centre, Wroughton 
• Locomotion, Shildon

Please sign and share this petition on social media.

Tweet your support using the hashtag  #SMGpay and the @prospectunion and @sciencemuseum @railwaymuseum @sim_manchester @mediamuseum handles.