Wakefield Council votes to withhold funding from National Coal Mining Museum amid strike
Staff have been taking industrial action over levels of pay
Wakefield Council has voted unanimously in favour of supporting staff at the National Coal Mining Museum who are on strike over a pay.
Council leader Denise Jeffery said local authority funding to the visitor attraction would be ‘withheld’ after councillors of all parties voted in favour of a motion aimed at resolving the dispute.
The council will also ask the Charity Commission to investigate the ongoing industrial action.
Museum leaders were roundly criticised by councillors who said the attraction was “at risk” as they the debated the cross-party motion at a meeting on Wednesday.
Staff at the museum, where visitors can get a lift 459 ft (140m) down to the mine shaft and learn about the UK’s mining history, began a four-week strike in August calling for higher pay.
Some workers earn about £12.60 an hour, union leaders said.
The strike had been extended to October 12 after Unison said the museum’s chief executive refused to return to pay talks.
Most of the striking staff are guides leading underground tours and some were involved in the year-long miners’ strike of 1984-1985.
Chair of trustees Philip Marshall previously said the museum was “open to constructive dialogue with Unison to reach a resolution that supports both staff and long-term sustainability.”
Proposing the motion at a full council meeting, Labour councillor Andy Nicholls said: “The museum wouldn’t be half the museum it is today without the mine guides who provide education, inspiration and enjoyment for thousands of visitors every year.
“None of this is possible without their dedication, skills and passion which bring the history of the coal mining industry to life.
“I’m deeply concerned that talks between management and Unison have not resulted in a fair resolution and an offer previously on the table has now been replaced with a lower one.
“This has understandably left staff feeling disrespected and undervalued.
“It’s time for management to get back round the table for meaningful talks.
“An empty mine without a guide is just a big black hole.”
Coun Nicholls directly addressed museum workers who watched the meeting from the public gallery, saying: “I want this to be loud and clear – I stand with you, we stand with you, this council stands with you.”
Seconding the motion, Tory councillor Samantha Harvey said: “We are the only ones with the title ‘National’ Coal Mining Museum.
“That distinction has been earned through the dedication of our guides, who give us the prestige, culture and tourism not only to our city but to the nation.
“They are modest, proud and only ask for what is fair.
“Justice for our guides means secure jobs, fair wages and respect knowing your work matters.
“It means treating our workers not as costs to be managed but as people who carry our shared history.
“If we truly care about our heritage and community then we must show it.”
Denise Jeffery, leader of the Labour-run council, said: “We have to win this dispute because I fear for the future of the mine.
“I do know the trustees and I’m afraid most of them are not from our district – they are across the country.
“I hope today, because we have brought it to public attention, this embarrasses them into coming to the table.”
Coun Jeffery said she would continue to try to make contact with museum trustees.
She said: “We will withhold the funding but I feel I must have one last go as well to get to the trustees.
“I have tried, and I will try again, because it matters so much to us here.
“Let’s try and win this fight and do all we can and pass this resolution.”
Nadeem Ahmed, leader of the Conservative and Independent opposition group, said: “We all agree and support the motion. I didn’t realise how small the numbers were.
“It seems a shame that this has gone for so long. It could have easily been resolved.”
Jakob Williamson, leader of the Unity group, said: “The museum receives a lot of money from this council in various grant applications.
“It’s important that we support the workers to get the settlement that they want.
“I think they a grossly, criminally, underpaid for the work they do.”
Michelle Collins, Labour councillor for South Elmsall and South Kirkby, said: “This is not just about numbers on a payslip.
“It’s about fairness and dignity and respect for working people.
“None of that history would come alive if it was not for the staff, and yet they are expected to live on £12.60p an hour, with some people earning even less.
“Instead of building bridges with Unison, management have spent money on private solicitors, private security and even recalled the tactics of the ’84 strike.
“The dispute is already harming the museum and, if it is not resolved, we will see visitor numbers fall.
“We will see its reputation damaged and the community as a whole will suffer.
“The museum cannot celebrate the coal mining heritage on the back of underpaid, undervalued staff.
“It is hypocrisy and we cannot let it stand.”
Charlie Keith, Labour councillor for Wrenthorpe and Outwood West, said: “This museum will die on its feet unless it passes on these skills that those people have got to a future generation.
“There will be no mining museum. It will just be a series of pictures and a cafe at the end of it.”
Stuart Heptinstall a former miner who represents Wakefield East ward for Labour , said: “There is a saying in Yorkshire: ‘Anybody who work’s for nowt will never be without a job’
“We are not living in the Victorian age.
“The people who are in dispute are not asking their employer to break the bank.”
Earlier in the meeting, councillors heard a deputation from Rianne Hooley, regional organiser for Unison Yorkshire and Humberside, who spoke on behalf of museum workers.
She said: “Rather than resolve the dispute, the employer is using public money to prolong it.
“There have been no talks with ACAS since the strike began.
“The museum is a national asset and we are all charged with a responsibility to protect it for future generations.
“It is a special and a unique place.
“Our members take approximately 200 schoolchildren every day underground.
“They provide an immersive and unforgettable educational experience.
“There is currently no underground tour and no mine train.
“It is utterly heart-breaking. Visitor numbers and income have plummeted.”
The museum issued a statement after the meeting which said: “The charity is disappointed that the written corrections, provided by the museum in advance of the meeting of the council, have not been raised.
“The museum would welcome the opportunity to speak directly with the council leader and council members regarding the current industrial action and is disappointed that the leader didn’t take up this offer in advance of the council meeting.
The statement continued: “Whilst not a major funder of the museum, we are disappointed by Wakefield Council’s decision to withhold future funding.
“The £15,000 received earlier this year through the culture grants programme is supporting local schools and young people and was awarded through a competitive application process.
“The project is aligned with the council’s heritage framework and priorities to support community wellbeing and opportunities for children and young people.
“Regardless of this funding, the museum will continue to engage with the local communities and foster important partnerships and support residents across the district.”