Unionized workers at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) East Storehouse, the publicly accessible museum storage site, have unanimously voted to strike over what they describe as “Amazon-style” working practices.
On Wednesday, July 29, every Storehouse employee who took part in the union ballot said they would walk out, according to a press release from Prospect, the union representing them. The workers cited being “denied sufficient time during the day for toilet breaks or for drinks.”
Prospect said the museum has so far failed to agree to its demand that employees be given two paid breaks each day. The union said this request is intended to address the conditions that prompted the strike vote.
The dispute centers on the working environment at the V&A East Storehouse, which is open to the public as well as used for storage. The strike decision marks a sharp escalation in tensions between staff and management.
