Statement from the National Coal Mining Museum

Updated Statement 29 August 2025

Philip Marshall, Chair of the Board of Trustees said:

The Charity’s Trustees are very grateful for the continued support of people visiting our Museum, and we are sorry for any inconvenience that visitors have experienced as a result of the current industrial action by members of UNISON.

We are disappointed by UNISON’s decision to extend the period of industrial action to Sunday, 12 October, but we fully respect the right of employees to carry out industrial action if done in a peaceful and lawful manner.

The majority of our employees will continue working as usual, supported by our dedicated team of volunteers, and the Museum will remain open, with plenty for our visitors to see and do. Unfortunately, the industrial action means that we cannot provide underground tours during this time. We are committed to doing everything we can to offer alternative experiences for families, schools and groups, or to reschedule visits at a later date.

The museum is committed to fair and ethical pay for all our staff and despite challenging economic times the Trustees approved a budget for this year which allowed for an above-inflation pay increase of 5% for all employees. This is higher than for most other sectors, both private and public; and followed onto last year’s above-inflation pay increase. It would have meant a rise of around 14% over two years for many of our employees, including the Museum Guides who are taking industrial action.

Whilst not within our budget, the Trustees subsequently approved an increased offer of 5% or an additional 80p per hour, whichever is greater. This equates to an increase of more than 6%, or more than 15% over two years, for many employees including the Museum Guides. To afford this, the Charity will have to find efficiencies and make savings, but the Trustees were keen to support our Chief Executive and her team in finding a speedy resolution to the dispute. UNISON refused to put this formal offer to its members. No offer of £1 per hour or 5%, whichever is greater, was ever agreed, by the Executive team or the Board of Trustees.

We do not consider UNISON’s pay claim to be reasonable or affordable in the current economic environment. UNISON has quoted the ‘operating surplus’ shown in our 2023/24 Annual Report and Accounts to suggest that the Charity can afford it. However, the accounts show that the surplus related to restricted funds (which must be spent for their designated purposes and cannot be spent on pay claims). The surplus at 31 March 2024 notably included funding received for the replacement of the mine’s winding engine, which was completed and paid for in the following financial year.

Also, contrary to information UNISON has put in the public domain, our Charity does not pay any ‘six-figure’ salaries; and whilst it is correct to say that the Museum is incurring additional costs as a result of the industrial action, including extra security, which is necessary to ensure an enjoyable experience for visitors, this is not at the levels being suggested.

The Charity’s Chief Executive and her leadership team have the full support of the Board of Trustees to find a reasonable and affordable resolution to this dispute. The Museum remains fully open to constructive dialogue with UNISON, to reach a resolution that supports both our staff and our long-term sustainability.

In the meantime, the Museum remains fully committed to its mission of sharing the rich history of coal mining in England. We continue to welcome visitors and to deliver a full programme of events and activities, including our summer offer with the land train, Emergency Services Day, Dino Weekend and Paws at the Pit.

Updated Statement Monday 18 August 2025

We are saddened to announce that, following further negotiations with UNISON, industrial action, largely affecting our Underground tours, is confirmed to take place from Wednesday 20 August to Sunday 14 September.

After serious consideration, mindful of the wellbeing of our wider workforce and our visitors, the museum proposed an increased offer to all staff of 80p per hour or 5%, whichever is the greater. This equates to a pay rise of over 6% for many and is much higher than pay settlements in the public sector including police, local government, schools and other museums.

This increased offer was rejected by UNISON. The Union refused to share our revised offer with their members to see if they wished to accept it.

As a charitable organisation, the museum, which relies on external funding and donations, continues to face considerable financial pressures.

We hope UNISON will reconsider their position. We remain committed to working closely with union representatives in the hope of a resolution.

During this period, the Museum will remain open and continue to share the important history of coal mining with our visitors. Although our Underground Tours will not be running throughout the industrial action, there will still be lots to see and do including a full programme of activity and entertainment.

Further details of what’s on at the museum can be found here 

Statement Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Spokesperson for the National Coal Mining Museum for England said: “We highly value the work of our museum team, including our dedicated museum guides and are deeply saddened at the decision to commence industrial action. We are committed to fair and ethical pay for all our staff.

Despite challenging economic times our staff have been offered a 5% pay rise this year. This is higher than inflation and is significantly higher than the pay award agreed by Unison for the public sector at 3.2%. Looking at last year’s pay rise as well, this makes a cumulative increase of 14% over two years.

As a Charity our Trustees feel this current offer is fair and the counter claim by Unison, which equates to over 8%, for many, as simply unaffordable. It would jeopardise people’s jobs across the organisation and threaten the long-term sustainability of the museum. This counter claim was suggested as part of the negotiation process and was at no point agreed. The only confirmed offer by the Museum was for 5% to all staff, which is still an offer the museum would be happy to agree to.

This offer of 5% has been rejected by Unison, and 28 members out of the 39 who have voted, have done so in favour of industrial action. We know that this is not the majority of our workforce of over 100 people and is largely made up of the museum guides who deliver our underground tours. It is our intention to keep an open dialogue with Unison, with the sincere hope, that this offer along with the many additional benefits included will be accepted to benefit our staff as a whole.

It is extremely disappointing that this strike action appears to be planned for four weeks, coinciding with the last two weeks of the summer holidays and into September. This will impact the experiences of so many children, families, and schools to whom the museum means so much.  Our museum is a vital place for people of all ages to understand more about the important history of coal mining and many have visits booked for months in advance.

Although we deeply regret that strike action will go ahead, we are committed to continuing to deliver an outstanding visitor experience throughout the summer and accommodate school visits as best we can.

Whilst we cannot offer underground tours during proposed strike action the rest of our museum will be open, with lots for families and visitors to experience, with a full programme of activities, performances, music, and entertainment.”

Find out more about how this may affect your visit here