Wakefield Council leader resigns as mining museum patron in support for striking staff
Denise Jeffery said she had quit the role due to it being a “conflict of interest” as she urged museum trustees to negotiate with union leaders
The leader of Wakefield Council has resigned as a patron for the National Coal Mining Museum in support for staff members who are on strike over pay.
Denise Jeffery said she had quit the role due to it being a “conflict of interest” as she urged museum trustees to negotiate with union leaders to settle the ongoing dispute.
Members of Unison at the museum in Wakefield, where visitors can get a lift 459 ft (140m) down to the mine shaft and learn about the UK’s mining history, began their industrial action in August, calling for higher wages.
The strike is set to continue until at least January 28 next year after the union blamed museum management’s “ongoing refusal to improve what’s on the table and backtracking on earlier promises.”
The museum previously said it remained “fully open to constructive dialogue” with the union and urged leaders to “negotiate rather than issue demands.”
In September, the Labour-run council voted to withhold funding from the museum until the dispute was resolved, in what it said was an act of solidarity with the workers.
Coun Jeffery, a former chair of the museum’s trust, told a full council meeting on Wednesday (November 26) she had been appointed a patron earlier this year but had since ended her connection with the tourist attraction.
She made the comments in response to a written question, from Conservative councillor Samantha Harvey, requesting an update on the council’s position over the dispute.
Coun Jeffery said: “I did write to the trustees and the chair and I’ve also had a meeting with them.
“Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that they do not want to settle this strike.
“As some of you know, I was chair of the mining museum for 11 years and I had to step down earlier this year.
“They asked me to be a patron and I was quite proud of it, because it was the first patron they’d had and it helped me stay linked to the mines.
“But I’ve tendered my resignation. I just feel there is a conflict of interest.
“I have resigned from the museum, which has made me sad but I feel it was the right thing to do.”
According to union leaders, some workers at the museum earn about £12.60 an hour.
Most of the striking staff are guides leading underground tours and some were involved in the year-long miners’ strike of 1984-1985.
Coun Jeffery said she also planned to speak at a demonstration to support staff, which is due to take place outside Wakefield Cathedral on December 6.
She added: “I would urge everybody to try to attend and show support for the guides.
Coun Harvey, councillor for Wakefield Rural ward, said: “This is about our heritage.
“For the whole of the winter we don’t have any tours down the pit to tell people our story, and that is a shame.”
Coun Jeffery said: “I agree with you. It is our heritage. I have had a number of emails from people across the country who feel that they can’t visit because of the strike and don’t want to cross the picket line.
“It is damaging our district and I just urge them all to come to the table.”
A statement previously issued by the museum said: “The charity has compromised and offered a settlement which would give the craftspeople within the mining team exactly the uplift which Unison have demanded and supports the vision of a staffing structure comparable with other organisations, which Unison have quoted as desirable.
“We are disappointed therefore that our offer has been rejected and that industrial action has been extended until January 28.
“Throughout this process, the museum has remained open to negotiation and has made multiple offers, none of which have been accepted.”