Coal Mining Museum Charity Staff to Strike Over Pay Dispute

Strategic Insights -

Employees at the National Coal Mining Museum charity, located in Wakefield, England, will go on strike for a month after failing to agree on a pay increase with the charity's management. The dispute centers around a proposed 5% pay rise, which the union claimed was agreed upon in June but was later withdrawn by the charity. The union, UNISON, has criticized the charity's management for their handling of the pay negotiations and has accused them of showing "utter disrespect" towards the staff.

Key Takeaways:

  • The strike will affect over 40 employees at the National Coal Mining Museum, who will stop work for four weeks starting from Wednesday.
  • The union, UNISON, claimed that the charity's management agreed to a 5% pay rise in June but later withdrew from the deal.
  • The charity offered a 5% pay rise in March, which was rejected by the union, followed by a second offer of a £1 per hour uplift for mine guides and 5% for everyone else in talks held via conciliatory body Acas.
  • The union proposed a 5% or £1 per hour increase for all staff, whichever is greater, which the charity's management allegedly agreed to, but then withdrew from the deal 11 days later.
  • The charity said the proposed 5% or £1 per hour increase would have resulted in a more than 8% increase for some staff, making it "simply unaffordable".
  • UNISON criticized the charity's highest-paid managers' salaries, stating that the pay gap between the highest-paid employee and the lowest is over £120,000.
  • The charity has made an operating surplus of more than half a million pounds and has £10m in reserves, but UNISON claims that the proposed pay rise would only add £150,000 to the existing pay bill.

Statistics:

  • 40 employees will be affected by the four-week strike.
  • The charity's proposed 5% pay rise in March was rejected by the union.
  • The charity made an operating surplus of £597,000 in the previous financial year.
  • The charity has £10m in reserves.
  • The proposed pay rise would add £150,000 to the existing pay bill, leaving the charity with an operating surplus of over £400,000.
  • The pay gap between the highest-paid employee and the lowest at the charity is over £120,000.

Sources:

  • Civil Society Media (Aug. 19, 2025): "Coal mining museum charity staff to strike for a month over pay dispute" (by Lea Legraien)
  • Charity Finance magazine (senior reporter)
  • UNISON Wakefield District (announced the strike on Aug. 19, 2025)
  • National Coal Mining Museum (provided statements to Civil Society Media)