Wakefield Mining Museum bosses urged to get back around the table with striking workers
The TUC is calling on the National Coal Mining Museum to make a new pay offer
Last updated 22nd Mar 2026
There are fresh calls for negotiations over a long running strike involving around 40 workers at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.
The TUC has issued a fresh call for bosses at the attraction to come to the table to agree terms with Unison members, who've been out since last August.
Unison claim a pay offer of an extra £1 per hour, or 5%, was withdrawn before its members could vote on it last year.
TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell said:
“The staff at the museum are dedicated and skilled workers – in safety critical roles – who work hard to keep this important piece of our history alive.
“But they’ve been treated appallingly by bosses at the museum.
“Offering a pay rise and withdrawing the offer just ten days later is insulting.
“These workers care passionately about the pit and their industrial heritage. They are on strike for themselves but ultimately to ensure that the story of coal mining will live on.
“Enough is enough. Bosses at the museum must get back around the table urgently to resolve this dispute.”
UNISON General Secretary Andrea Egan said:
“This strike can easily be resolved – but it requires the museum manager to engage in real meaningful negotiations.
“From the start of the dispute, the union has been willing to meet bosses to try to find a way to bring this strike to an end. Our members just want a fair deal.
“The union remains committed to finding a solution to resolve the dispute. Senior leaders at the museum must do the same.
"Staff want to get back to what they do best. That's keeping the tours and history of the museum going.”
In a statement issued last month, the National Coal Mining Museum said:
"The industrial action currently taking place at the Museum is deeply upsetting for everyone who works here, both the minority of colleagues who are participating in the strike and the majority who continue to come in each day, working hard to support the Museum’s aims and ambitions."
"During this period, staff and volunteers at work have remained committed to telling the important history of coal mining.
"The Charity is particularly disappointed that the fourth and most recent pay offer has been rejected by Unison members, especially as this offer reflected exactly what Unison proposed during the latest round of negotiations and at 6.5% – 7% for striking workers is significantly above inflation."