The news about the recent protests against the newly elected Tory (Scum) government has drawn attention across the pond to just how fucked this conglomerate of corporate creeps will be. All indicators point to them seeking to cut the heart and soul out of the arts in the UK (among every other public program).
RS21 recently covered the sacking of union badass, organizing extraordinaire Candy Udwin. Candy who has made the fight for union rights, economic equality and worker power has led fights against austerity for the last several decades.
From the RS21 coverage, “National Gallery staff have taken a total of 23 days of strike action against the privatisation plans, which will affect 400 out of 600 staff, including those who ensure the security of the paintings and answer questions from the public. The campaign, which had continued for months, has won massive support, including from cultural figures like Ken Loach and Grayson Perry. As Polly Toynbee wrote in January, the National Gallery is the only national museum in London not paying the living wage. Staff working here from a commitment to making art accessible to people are to be transferred to a private sector firm interested only in profit – in the words of one staff member, 'I came to work at the National Gallery, but I could be transferred to a supermarket car park.'"
The union workers at the National Gallery are essential staff (unlike their administrators) providing care, assistance and expert knowledge within the museum setting. They are expected to execute perfect customer service, and perform the most menial to arduous tasks and unbelievably NOT at the LIVING WAGE. This seems less than shocking for a person such as myself who also does not earn a living wage in a museum work environment, however the fact that the National Gallery has somehow dodged the being-decent-bullet in ALL OF London’s cultural centers is fairly remarkable and disgusting. So kudos for being colossal assholes, museum board.
So take a moment to read up on what’s happening with Candy’s case and sign/share the petitions that are circulating for their cause. An attack on any worker is an attack on all workers. We gotta stop this Tory Scum before it spreads, demand an end to privatization and support cultural worker’s rights to organize!