My name is Sempijja Juma and I am proud to work as a security guard at the Science Museum. Along with my colleagues at the Natural History and Victoria and Albert museums, we protect millions of visitors every year, including school children, members of the public and tourists as well as priceless exhibits representing our shared heritage. Most of us have been at the museums for a long time, some over 20-30 years. But despite our hard work and dedication, we are treated as second-class workers by our employer, Wilson James.
We’re on strike because we can’t survive on poverty wages. Up to August 2024 we earned just £11.95 per hour and after years of real-terms pay cuts, Wilson James offered us an “insulting” rise to £13.15. But this is too little and too late; we cannot be given pennies to keep quiet. The current London Living Wage of £13.85 is already higher than that!
We’re asking for a pay rise to £16 an hour to reflect the hard work and responsibility that our jobs demand. We are also demanding sick pay from day one, because when we get sick and miss days of work, we don’t get paid and struggle financially.
We are asking for our ‘pains’ to be recognised; the mental and physical pains we go through on a daily basis. We are out, standing and patrolling, in the freezing cold for hours at a time, on the door and in the car park. Our work takes us away from our families for long hours, sometimes until midnight or 2am, because we are struggling to afford the cost of living, inflation is high and transport costs are high. We have children and families to look after.
Our job is tough. We must be ready for anything and everything. During half term we expect around 15,000 people per day. We deal with at least seven first aid situations a day, anything from strokes to fainting.Yet, we lack the dignity and respect afforded to directly employed museum staff, who enjoy better conditions, including regular breaks denied to us.
After years of real-terms pay cuts, including six years of frozen wages, we’ve had enough. We’ve tried sending letters and speaking to management, but we’ve been ignored. Wilson James and the museums, who make millions in profit every year, have refused to negotiate.
That’s why we’ve been forced to take action, going on strike twice during the October half term —and now we’re escalating with a historic 15 days of strikes between November and December.
We deserve wages that meet today’s standards and the important and thankless work we do.
OUR DEMANDS
- Fair pay: A wage of £16 per hour to catch up with years of wage stagnation, and reflect the cost of living in London and the vital nature of our work.
- Proper sick pay: Sick pay from day one of illness rather than the current day four, as well as a better deal than the minimum statutory pay we get at the moment. Because who can live on £109 per week? We want to stop being penalised for getting sick and to be treated with the same respect as other museum staff.
- An extra week of annual leave
- Improvements to our compassionate leave
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Striking is always a last resort, and it comes at a cost. We are already on low wages, and losing even a week of income hits hard. The money we raise here will help us cover rent, bills, and groceries while we fight for fairness.
Every pound you give helps us stay strong on the picket line and send a message to Wilson James and the museums: we won’t back down until we’re treated with dignity.
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
We’re up against a company and institutions that make millions, where the CEOs enjoy their bonuses. yet they expect us to scrape by on poverty wages.
We’re not asking for luxury—just fairness. Fair pay, proper sick leave, and respect for the hard work we do. With your support, we can win this fight and set a powerful example for other workers.
Please donate generously and share our campaign far and wide. Every bit of support keeps us going.
Thank you for standing with us in solidarity.