Museum staff agree deal after contract strikes
GMBA dispute about pay and contracts at a museum trust has ended because a deal has been agreed with staff following strikes, unions say.
Staff at Brighton and Hove Museums Trust had walked out in April over changes to their contracts which unions said left workers "vulnerable to contractual changes".
Spokespeople for the Unison and GMB unions said staff had now backed a deal which would see their previous agreements maintained, alongside a "limited" 1% pay rise.
Brighton and Hove Museums chief executive Hedley Swain said he welcomed the deal "that protects key terms and conditions while ensuring the financial stability of the trust".
Jo Galloway, Unison's south east regional secretary, told BBC Radio Sussex: "I think the agreement works well for everyone.
"It provides certainty to the workforce and it's a positive way forward with the trust as a whole.
"Museum staff want to protect Brighton's heritage, not spend their time in dispute. We're pleased they can now get back to the jobs they care passionately about."
Oliver Cruickshank, regional organiser for GMB, said: "Our members were brave enough to take action to protect their jobs, which they care so deeply and are so passionate about."
Under the new deal, Unison and the GMB unions will also be able to negotiate further pay deals with the trust under a collective bargaining agreement.
Further walkouts had been planned earlier in July but were called off after the deal was initially agreed by the museum trust's board of trustees.
Swain says he welcomes the new recognition of the unions, adding the trust "looks forward to working constructively together in the future".
"With this resolution in place we can all focus on our shared priority - protecting and sharing Brighton and Hove's extraordinary culture and heritage for our community and visitors," he added.
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