Tate Modern workers call off 42 day strike after offer for improved working terms

Tate Modern workers and union members have called off a 42-day strike after bargaining an offer for new improvements for staff.

PCS Tate United reported following several negotiation meetings between Tate Enterprises senior management, PCS Tate United and the mediator ACAS, union members have formally suspended their strike action at Tate Modern, Southwark from Thursday, October 1 awaiting the finalisation of the details of an offer.

This comes after protesters voted to strike from the August 18 and gathered to protest outside the re-opening of the Tate Modern in Southwark July 27 in response to making more than 200 staff redundant across all Tate sites amid the pandemic.

Many of the staff who faced job losses were claimed to be amongst the lowest-paid and in some of the most diverse teams across the Tate.

Across over a six-week period, Tate workers, union members and demonstrators organised demonstrations at both Tate Modern sites in support of staff.

An open letter to the Tate signed by more than 300 artists demanded no redundancies are made across staff and senior staff earn more than £100,000.

PCS Tate United says the new agreement includes improved terms and redundancy for Tate Commerce workers affected by the restructure.

Final details of the offer are still in negotiation but the headlines allegedly include an improved re-employment and re-deployment policy across Tate Enterprises Ltd, agreement for preferential recruitment for vacancies across the Tate Estate, an additional significant investment in redundancy payments for staff across Tate Commerce.

PCS Tate United told Twitter: “We are very pleased to have secured these improvements to terms. We believe all workers should challenge the so called ‘necessary’ job cuts to the lowest paid across sectors, workers are facing a momentous fight, United we will never be defeated.”