John Vasey, Wakefield Socialist Party
Socialist Party members continue to support the Unison picket line at the National Coal Mining Museum England in Middlestown, near Wakefield.
The strike has closed the underground tours at the now-disused pit, leaving the museum without its main attraction.
The dispute is over the employer’s refusal to follow through with a pay increase it had been considering, despite the inferior rates of pay when compared to that of mine guides at the Big Pit National Coal Mining Museum Wales. This was amplified on one of the strikers’ placards: a top rate of £12.87 per hour in England and £18.98 per hour in Wales.
Pickets gave out leaflets to the public on entering the scaled-down attraction, explaining their action.
Management had been refusing to even meet with Unison until recently, which was illustrated by a mock negotiating table on the picket line, with Unison reps ready to meet management.
However, after an intervention by local Starmer-supporting Labour MP Jade Botterill, management did meet the strikers – but offered an even worse deal than previously, with some workers who would have got a 80p an hour pay rise now only offered 62p an hour! Unsurprisingly, this was rejected by the strikers.
But pressure is continuing to build on management. Wakefield Labour council unanimously passed a motion suspending the council grant to the museum until the dispute is resolved.
Most of the funding comes from the government Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Labour council should make it clear that if the Trust that runs the museum isn’t willing to pay decent rates, the council will step in to take over the museum, with democratic control, and join the workers in demanding that the Labour government fully funds the museum, to ensure decent pay. This could be part of the discussions in the area between trade unionists, independent councillors and Your Party supporters about campaigning for a People’s Budget.
More people refuse to cross the picket line, including artists exhibiting at the museum. Socialist Party members will be continuing to offer our full support to the strikers, including organising a solidarity meeting next month.
