Appeal for striking members at the National Coal Mining Museum

Members of UNISON Wakefield branch who work at the National Coal Mining Museum – and who have been on strike for six months – are appealing for financial support.

In June 2025, the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield made a pay offer to its workers of £1 per hour, or 5%, whichever was greater. UNISON agreed to ballot members with a recommendation to accept the offer.

Ten days later, the employer withdrew the offer and replaced it with a reduced offer of 80p per hour, or 5%.

When the strike action started last August, the National Coal Mining Museum further escalated matters. In October, it withdrew the 80p offer entirely and replaced it with an offer of just 62p per hour.

A refusal to resolve the dispute 

Since the strike began, there have been no meetings with ACAS. The employer is refusing to negotiate and has declined to provide the financial information required to enable meaningful talks with the union.

Instead of engaging with ACAS, or UNISON, the employer has continued to present a series of unilateral offers under the pretence of attempting to resolve the dispute.

Members are simply asking for the original offer to be honoured. The difference between the first and second offers amounts to just £10,000 – but the employer doesn’t appear to want to resolve the dispute.

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