Council urged to step in over mining museum strike

People have been on strike over pay at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield since August

Funding for the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield is to be "reviewed" until strike action over workers' pay is resolved.

Wakefield Council will also be asked to urge the Charity Commission to investigate the ongoing dispute.

Staff at the tourist attraction, where visitors can get a lift 459 ft (140m) down to the mine shaft and learn about the UK's mining history, began a four-week strike in August calling for higher pay.

Some workers earn about £12.60 an hour, union leaders said.

The strike had been extended to 12 October after Unison said the museum's chief executive refused to return to pay talks.

Chair of trustees Philip Marshall said the museum was "open to constructive dialogue with Unison to reach a resolution that supports both staff and long-term sustainability".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), most of the striking staff were guides for underground tours, and some were involved in the year-long 1984-1985 miners' strike.

The council's controlling Labour group has now put forward a motion proposed by Councillor Andy Nicholls calling on the authority to take action to end the dispute.

The motion proposes "a review of any further financial support" from the council to the museum, including any new grant funding applications.

Museum visitors can take a lift down to the mine shaft and learn about the UK's mining history

The motion would be debated at a council meeting on Wednesday the LDRS said.

"The National Coal Mining Museum is a vital institution in our community," Nicholls said.

Unison said the workers "simply want to be paid fairly so they can get back to the jobs they love, keeping the area's coal mining heritage alive".

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