National Gallery staff set for 10-day strike over privatisation plans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32864169

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Workers at the National Gallery are preparing to walk out for 10 days, hitting the half-term holidays.

About 200 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will strike between 26 May and 4 June in a dispute over privatisation.

The gallery said it would stay open as much as possible but some visitors would likely be "disappointed".

There have been 24 days of strikes since February, but this will be the longest period of action so far.

A rally will also be held in Trafalgar Square on 30 May.

'Disgraceful attack'

The strike follows privatisation plans which the gallery says would enable it to introduce a new roster to "operate more flexibly".

It also said it "proposed not only to meet the London Living Wage, but to pay a basic salary in excess of it" and confirmed there would be no job cuts.

But PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This privatisation plan is totally unnecessary and is damaging the well-earned reputation of the gallery."

The dispute has intensified following the dismissal of union rep Candy Udwin, who was accused of sharing information about the use of a private security firm with her full-time union official.

The union called the action "a disgraceful attack" and said Labour MP John McDonnell planned to raise it in the House of Commons.

The gallery said it did not comment on individual disciplinary cases.