UNIONS pressed politicians to pick a side on controversial privatisation plans for the National Gallery as its workers began another wave of strike action yesterday.

Activists will confront parliamentary candidates at numerous constituency hustings this week to ask them to support a moratorium on plans to outsource security and visitor services to a private contractor.

Management has shown signs of caving in to the union pressure, agreeing to fund the living wage for all staff at the gallery.

Speaking anonymously following management threats to discipline staff who speak to the media, one gallery worker said: “We’re pleased because it shows our strikes and campaigns have had an influence, and forced them to find the money they said they couldn’t pay.

But public-sector union PCS described the gallery’s decision to put staffing contracts out to tender just days before the general election as a cynical move to “bury the issue and tie the hands” of the next government.

And the anonymous worker said that the gallery’s U-turn on the living wage was “a further argument that they shouldn’t go ahead with the invitation to tender so soon.”

The moratorium proposal has been supported by the Green Party, while Labour has called for management to resume talks with union reps.

“It is cynical of the gallery to try to press ahead with this sell-off in the run-up to the general election and before the new director has taken over,” said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka.

“The process should be halted now and we should be given a proper chance to discuss maintaining services in-house.”

PCS said that action would be “escalated” if an offer was not made to staff before the general election.

On Friday supporters will hold collections for the PCS strike across Britain and the following day artists in Cardiff will hold a community jamboree to raise awareness of creeping privatisation.

“It’s great to see the Cardiff artistic community standing up for the workers,” said Cardiff People’s Assembly activist Jamie Insole.