Solidarity with ex-Carillion workers at the British Museum!

Five years ago, the British Museum outsourced a number of its facilities jobs to Carillion. That company has now collapsed, but the museum is refusing to give those workers any reassurance that their jobs will be secure. In fact, they're refusing to even meet with the workers or their PCS union reps.

The workers are calling for their jobs to be brought back in-house - they held a demo outside the British Museum last month and are holding another one tomorrow.

Today, the Art Not Coalition is sending this message of support to the ex-Carillion workers:

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Dear ex-Carillion workers at the British Museum,

The Art Not Oil coalition sends its support for your campaign to bring the former Carillion jobs in-house.

In line with the British Museum's stated commitment to act 'ethically, with integrity and to the highest professional standards' [i], the management should move swiftly to bring these jobs in-house - jobs that should never have been privatised in the first place. We call on Hartwig Fischer to act responsibly and for British Museum management to meet with the affected staff and their union representatives as soon as possible.

Privatisation and oil sponsorship are both symptoms of unwelcome corporate influence in our nation’s museums and galleries. They are also examples of management and trustees acting in unaccountable and undemocratic ways - making decisions on funding and governance matters without taking into account the concerns of staff, visitors and affected communities.

We stand in solidarity with you, in the struggle to ensure our cultural institutions work for the public good not for vested interests.

If there are any specific ways in which we can support you, please let us know.

In solidarity,

The Art Not Oil Coalition

[i] British Museum Standards of Conduct Policy

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Accompanying photo from Support Ex-Carillion staff at British Museum