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STEWARDS squared up to bosses at London’s National Gallery yesterday amid increasing fears the gallery is turning to scare tactics and intimidation.
Five days of strike action at the gallery in protest against plans to privatise security and visitor services jobs will conclude tomorrow. Workers organised by public-sector union PCS were due to strike last month but were forced to postpone action after management threatened legal action over a technicality.
Yesterday afternoon around 150 striking workers and their supporters marched from the institution’s Trafalgar Square home to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Whitehall.
PCS cultural sector president Clara Paillard led a group of striking workers into the gallery’s reception, where she demanded that gallery chairman Mark Getty, who was in the building for a board meeting, come down to receive a 40,000-strong petition.
Security chief Andy Baxter initially indicated Mr Getty would comply – but after talking with colleagues, he then insisted this would not be possible and received the petition himself.
Union activists have pointed to the composition of the board of trustees as evidence of the corporatisation of the gallery. Getty Images founder Mr Getty is joined on the board by former Bank of England governor Mervyn King, insurance supremo Lance Batchelor and hedge fund chief Sir Michael Hintze.
Ms Paillard told the Morning Star: “Mark Getty’s company sells images to art galleries across the world, so it begs the question: is there a conflict of interest here?
“Getty Images has also just launched a commercial venture with the Imperial War Museum, selling images of the first world war. They’re capitalising on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, when millions of working-class people died.”
The gallery raised the stakes in the dispute on Monday by suspending PCS convener Candy Udwin. Demonstrators chanted: “Victimisation — no way! Candy Udwin — here to stay!”
To cheers from the crowd, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn shouted: “Reinstate this woman now!”
One gallery steward told the Morning Star that a human resources manager had been seen taking photographs of pickets outside the gallery.
“I don’t think that’s allowed,” they said. “There’s no reason for them to be doing that.”
A National Gallery spokeswoman said the allegation was “not true.”
