THREE major museums will be hit by a historic month-long security guards’ strike next month, the United Voices of the World (UVW) union announced today.

More than 100 contracted workers at the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museums urged the public not to visit the cultural landmarks as they take industrial action for £16 an hour pay and the same terms and conditions as directly employed museum staff.

The action will mark 50 total strike days at the museums and make it the longest walkout in the history of all three institutions, UVW said.

About 40 guards visited V&A trustee Amanda Levete at an office in London to hand-deliver a letter outlining their demands and asking for her support.

She declined to meet them face to face but agreed to answer them in writing, the UVW said.

UVW rep and V&A security guard Edi Palalej said that not meeting them was disappointing, but they remained hopeful for a positive response.

Security guards at the Young V&A Museum in Bethnal Green and the V&A East Museum in Stratford have now joined the dispute, demanding equality of terms and conditions with directly employed museum workers.

UVW general secretary Petros Elia said that the museums’ decision to defend outsourcing is an example of institutional racism, saying that his members are “not blind to the fact that the majority of them are from black, brown, ethnic minority and migrant backgrounds, which stands in stark contrast to the directly employed members of staff at the museums who are, by a large majority, white British.”