Cost-Cutting As Well As Petitions At London Fine Art Galleries

Did y'all know a five-day strike is planned at the National Gallery? There's likewise a petition suggesting that the populace should state 'No to privatisation of the National Gallery' (see below).

The Public too Commercial Services Union (PCS) has called for a v solar daytime strike from Tuesday three to Sat seven February. Members at the Gallery had voted for industrial activeness later administration proposed to externalise the staff who are the populace human face upwards of the gallery - namely c.400 staff who render security, visitor services too visitor engagement.

Union members are likewise protesting planned cuts inwards gallery assistants at Dulwich Picture Gallery (see below)

This post is close why cuts inwards expenditure are existence made, what activeness staff are taking - too what I recall close the proposals. I'm interested to know what y'all recall - do delight exit a comment at the end.

Context for the Cuts

The continued stranglehold on populace sector expenditure caused past times the bankers' exploits pre-2008 too the demand to exert command over the economic scheme continues to create a real tight traveling steal of populace expenditure.

This inwards plough agency that all populace service organisations inwards the UK of Britain too Northern Republic of Ireland are looking for cuts to enable them to buy the farm on to render a service inside electrical flow funding constraints.

The Gallery continues to human face upwards important too sustained cuts to grant-in-aid over the coming years National Gallery - Finance

The National Gallery's perspective is that it wants more

“more flexibility to come across the changing expectations of our visitors inwards an surroundings where our income is decreasing”.

Frankly, my perspective is that I detect it real strange that:

on the 1 mitt the Galleries accept to larn cap inwards mitt to the banks for sponsorship monies which aid them render an effective service too ace exhibitions
at the same fourth dimension every bit their grant-in-aid is existence express past times a authorities silent trying to command an economic scheme lacerated past times the real stupid actions of some of the banks prior to 2008!

It's non an slowly province of affairs for whatever manager, even thus every bit an ex-senior managing director inwards populace service I good sympathise the demand to brand changes which seek to preserve the outcomes (ie the service offered) every bit opposed to the agency (ie the out-dated price too weather condition of existing staff).

National Gallery too the PCS union

The National Gallery inwards Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery is an interesting case. So far every bit I am aware:

The PCS Union has had a long-running battle amongst the Gallery's administration for years too years inwards relation to the price too weather condition of staff who are members of the PCS
The PCS is totally inflexible to negotiation close making changes for modern practices.

In fact I'd larn thus far every bit to state the National Gallery is belike 1 of the few places left inwards the UK of Britain too Northern Republic of Ireland where the matrimony is running the show.
For example, my agreement is that which rooms at the National Gallery are opened upwards to the populace on a solar daytime to solar daytime reason is totally inside the remit of the unions. Shop stewards closed rooms downwards at whim when they are taking industrial activeness and/or working to dominion and/or are short-staffed. I likewise sympathise (I've asked inwards the past!) is that real piffling notice is given close room closure from which I conclude that administration are either hamstrung or ineffective on this matter.

CPS is a shaver matrimony inwards relation to populace services - it solely has 240,000 members too these typically relate to civil service activities too inwards key authorities services which accept already been privatised. The major Union for people working inwards populace services is Unison (1.3 1 one k thousand members) too UNITE (also 1.42 1 one k thousand members).

The electrical flow proposal which CPS is getting real agitated close is that diverse non-core services should go externalised - or every bit the unions would accept it "privatised". The services inwards query are the safety too ticketing/visitor services ie generic services which are routinely provided to unlike organisations past times a diverseness of specialist firms.

Frankly I welcome the notion of externalisation at the National Gallery. The provision of nutrient too drinkable at the National Gallery improved enormously 1 time this was externalised too Peyton & Byrne got the contract. However I real definitely would NOT similar to reckon the non-generic specialist staff too and nub fine art services externalised.

In my personal experience, one of the notable downsides of the National Gallery is the conduct too attitudes of some of the visitor-facing staff. (I'm non proverb all staff - the retail shops tin go real helpful - but I am talking close a full general impression over real many years). For example, I've sure enough experienced too seen some of the safety staff go unfriendly too real unhelpful. I am at a loss every bit to how their 'experience' is demonstrated to visitors to the museum - peculiarly when they closed rooms at curt notice despite the fact visitors may accept travelled long distances to stance paintings inwards that room.

I'd go real happy to reckon a modify if externalisation agency that

the practices relating to room closure are ameliorate managed too communicated - which is something which should go possible if a fellowship is running it nether contract
the outset too complete opening hours became much to a greater extent than flexible too inwards melody amongst when people desire to see museums - e.g. to a greater extent than evenings too belatedly nighttime openings. London's nighttime economic scheme positively hums - everywhere except the fine art galleries!

I'd add together that I recall CPS accept brought this on their ain members. If they'd been prepared to negotiate close price too weather condition inwards an intelligent fashion too recognise that the populace service has moved on too is straightaway a totally unlike animate existence than the nation of affairs 30-40 years agone thus its members jobs would non straightaway go champaign of written report to externalisation. Let's likewise go clear that externalisation does non necessarily hateful that everybody loses their jobs. It merely agency that people accept a unlike employer - too their price too weather condition modify too people are expected to go to a greater extent than flexible every bit to working patterns.

I accept merely 1 caveat. Under no circumstances whatsoever should G4S, the theatre which botched the safety contract for the Olympics, go shortlisted for the safety service. They accept proven their administration to go incompetent too they are way curt of proving that they accept effected a turnaround.

Dulwich Picture Gallery - too the gallery assisants

Interior of Dulwich Picture Gallery - which puts on some first-class exhibitions

Looks to me from the Tumblr blog too the Facebook Page laid upwards past times the Gallery Assistants that something similar is happening over at Dulwich Picture Gallery.

According to staff, the cost-cutting proposals are:

19 members of the front-of-house squad volition human face upwards redundancy. This is over one-half of the electrical flow visitor services squad (It's unclear whether this is release of staff or whole-time equivalents aka 'w.t.e.'s. It may good go that they accept a release of part-time staff)
Those keeping their jobs volition go asked to sign novel annualised hours contracts pregnant they accept to operate whatever hours stipulated past times administration without over-time rates.
Staff facial expression the deport upon volition go a lower annual income for visitor services staff (My expectation would go that this belike agency the administration proposals take the premium for overtime rates past times adjusting the release of staff inwards the gallery at whatever 1 fourth dimension to tally the profile of the release of visitors to the museum - staffing upwards for busy times too releasing staff from the demand to go at operate when it is less busy. It's an obvious solution to maintain the gallery opened upwards inwards a cosy-efficient trend for the do goodness of the visitors)

It likewise appears every bit if UNITE (1.3 1 one k thousand members) is the Union which holds sway at Dulwich

The DPG Gallery Assistants, who are members of Unite, condemn the cuts saying:“We dear working at the gallery, nosotros dear the paintings too nosotros dear our visitors. We operate hard to pick out y'all the superlative client service that makes our gallery thus unique. We believe the proposed redundancies are unjustified too unfair, too that they volition ultimately jeopardise too harm the human relationship nosotros accept developed amongst our customers throughout the years. We are united inwards our intention to larn by the proposed cuts too enquire for your back upwards too solidarity” Unite | Stop the staff Cuts at Dulwich Picture Gallery

I accept to state my sense of Dulwich is that most of the gallery assistants that I come across at press previews are extremely nice, knowledgeable too real helpful. It sure makes a divergence to my visitor experience!

I likewise sympathise that if the pick is making cuts to staff or making cuts to how often too for how long the Gallery opens that this is a hard decision.

Isn't it interesting how I accept slightly unlike perspective on Dulwich compared to the National - purely based on the attitudes too helpfulness of the staff?

Isn't it likewise interesting which grouping of staff know how to communicate effectively amongst their customers?

The Petitions

There are 2 petitions:

No Privatisation at the National Gallery - relating to the National Gallery cuts (and ignoring the fact that services are already externalised)
Stop Staff Cuts at Dulwich Picture Gallery - relating to the Dulwich Picture Gallery cuts

I'm non signing either correct now. Note that y'all tin solely exit comments if y'all sign them - which is why I'm writing my comments inwards this post!

That's because I desire to listen the instance from administration every bit to what the alternative options are. In the past times I was a fellow member of senior administration teams having to concur too suggest cuts packages. on an annual basis. I KNOW that such proposals are non seat frontwards without a dandy bargain of idea - too that the options are real often less probable to go liked past times service users (and yes, service users are real oft prioritised over staff).

I've provided the links thus y'all tin read what the unions too staff think. I've told y'all what I think.

If anybody wants to render me amongst the administration perspective on the electrical flow province of affairs I'd go to a greater extent than than happy to compass them some infinite on this blog.

...and thus I'll determine whether or non to vote on either or both of those petitions.

What do y'all think?

Let me know what y'all think:

What's your visitor sense of staff at either Gallery?
Would y'all similar to reckon to a greater extent than flexible opening hours at either Gallery?
Would y'all rather the Gallery cutting opening hours or revise staff price too conditions?
Should Galleries have populace funding via grant-in-aid - or are their other populace services which are to a greater extent than deserving of the funds which larn allocated to the arts?
If galleries are to have grant-in-aid, should it go a requirement that they adopt modern practices inwards relation to the cost-effective work of staff?