V&A Staff to Strike Across All London Sites Over Pay and Working Conditions

Staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London are set to escalate industrial action with a two-day strike on 29 and 30 October 2026, marking the first time walkouts will affect all four of the museum’s London sites.

The strike, coordinated by members of the Prospect and Public and Commercial Services (PCS) unions, will affect V&A South Kensington, V&A East, V&A Storehouse and Young V&A. It follows earlier strikes in September amid an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.

Prospect is demanding a minimum 4% pay increase for staff earning above the Living Wage, enhanced pay for bank holiday work, improved food provision at V&A East sites and formal accreditation as a London Living Wage employer within 12 months.

According to the union, negotiations held on 13 October failed to produce a revised offer from the museum. Prospect has also criticised V&A Director Tristram Hunt for declining to participate in arbitration talks.

“This is a dispute which V&A could potentially have resolved months ago but their continuing refusal to move on our demands has left us with no choice but to continue our strike action,” said Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect.

The upcoming walkouts follow strikes at V&A East, V&A Storehouse and Young V&A on 4–5 September, and at V&A South Kensington on 25–26 September. Union members are also continuing other forms of industrial action, including working strictly to contract.

The V&A maintains that it has met the majority of the unions’ demands. The museum says its latest offer includes an average pay increase of 4.18%, with a 6.9% increase for its lowest-paid employees, and that all staff already receive at least the London Living Wage.

The museum is assessing the potential impact of the strikes on visitors.

Source: Prospect – V&A strike escalated to all London sites

Image: Courtesy of Prospect Union.