Museum staff mull strike action over being forced to stand for hours

● Union says workers being ‘bullied’ by not having seats

Staff at the National Museum of Scotland may strike because visitor assistants are forced to stand for hours, causing health problems.

The Public and Commercial Services union said workers at Scotland’s flagship museum are being “bullied” by being refused designated seats.

Seats are allowed for staff at attractions such as the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery in the capital.

Union officials said most museums in major European capital cities, including the British Museum in London, also allowed assistants who spend long periods standing to have their own seating areas.

The dispute comes after the museum was hit by a wave of strikes about the withdrawal ofweekendworkingallowances for the attraction’s lowestpaid employees.

Robert Burns, a PCS representative for Edinburgh’s museum workers, said he had suffered ligament damage by effectively being made to stand for hours on a hard floor at the museum.

He confirmed a ballot on industrial action could take place in the new year over possible strikes at Easter, one of the busiest periods of the year for the museum.

0 Staff at National Museum of Scotland have been refused designated seats but been told they could use the public seating area deal as those at other state-run visitor attractions.

He said: “Staff are being told they can’t have a seat unless they sit in public seating, which people are uncomfortable with as they are getting on with their work. But the management has said it won’t provide designated staff seating.

“It’s low-level bullying from management as this is something that they could easily provide but won’t even though some staff are suffering with aches and pains.”

“I once tore a ligament and I know staff who have had back pain. Having to stand for six hours on end for five days is a long time and people are really feeling it.”

A PCS Scotland spokesperson called on National Museums Scotland to agree to the staff seating request.

The union spokesperson added: “We now hope that management will act to resolve this issue quickly.”