V&A faces calls to become living wage employer on eve of Stratford opening
April 16, 2026
Campaigners organise open letter to director demanding ‘fair day’s wage’ for all workers at V&A museums A row over pay has broken out at the V&A before the opening of its newest site , with thousands of people calling for it to become a living wage employer. On Saturday, V&A East will open its doors in Stratford, east London, showcasing stunning fabrics, photos and black British music. It joins a wider group of V&A museums including its original site in South Kensington, Young V&A in Bethnal Green and V&A Dundee. The V&A describes its latest opening as one of the most significant new museum projects in the UK. Continue reading...
On the eve of the highly anticipated opening of its new East London location, the Victoria and Albert Museum is facing a growing wave of public pressure to become an accredited living wage employer. Campaigners are highlighting the disparity between the celebrated launch of the V&A East in Stratford and the pay conditions of some of the museum's lowest-paid staff. The new museum, which opens its doors on April 18, 2026, is part of a significant cultural investment in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is expected to be a major new attraction.
A coalition of campaigners, led by the worker-led platform Organise and the community organization Citizens UK, has intensified the call for fair pay. They have coordinated an open letter addressed to the V&A's director, Sir Tristram Hunt, which has gathered more than 21,000 signatures. The letter urges the institution to ensure all its workers, including those employed by third-party contractors, receive the London living wage. This rate, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation to reflect the true cost of living in the capital, currently stands at £14.80 per hour, significantly higher than the statutory UK minimum wage of £12.71. While the V&A complies with all legal pay requirements, advocates argue that this is not enough for an institution receiving public funds.
The controversy places the V&A's London sites at odds with many of its peers in the cultural sector. Other major institutions, including the National Gallery, the Tate, and the National Theatre, are already accredited as living wage employers. Notably, the V&A's own site in Dundee is also accredited, creating an inconsistency within the V&A's network of museums that campaigners are keen to point out. The pressure is not new; unions such as the United Voices of the World (UVW) have previously organized campaigns and strikes over pay and conditions for outsourced security guards and cleaning staff at the V&A and other prominent London museums.
The opening of V&A East is a landmark moment for the museum, representing a major expansion intended to reach new, younger, and more diverse audiences in East London. The project has been positioned as a forward-looking venture, co-created with local young people and creatives. However, the ongoing dispute over wages threatens to cast a shadow over the launch. Campaigners argue that for the museum to truly fulfill its public and community-focused mission, it must ensure that the people who maintain and secure the institution are paid a wage that affords them dignity and a decent standard of living.
As the V&A prepares to welcome the public to its state-of-the-art new building, the institution's leadership has yet to commit to living wage accreditation for its London sites. The sustained campaign, now amplified by the high-profile opening, means the issue is unlikely to fade from view. The likely next steps will depend on the V&A's response to the growing public petition and the ongoing dialogue with campaign groups and unions. For the thousands who have backed the call, a commitment to a fair day's pay is an essential part of the museum's social responsibility, as vital as the art and design it houses.
Source: theguardian