NIPSA members working at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra, are set to take strike action on St Patrick's Day.
The strike action comes days after National Museums Northern Ireland announced a £50 million investment in the Co Down site and what the union have described as an "insulting" pay offer they have received, which has angered them so greatly they demanded to be part of the targeted NIPSA action.
NIPSA official Ryan Wilson said that staff have had enough of being paid poorly.
Read more: Civil Services in Northern Ireland set to strike over pay
“Museum staff are part of the wider NI Civil Service family who have been offered a meagre £552 increase. Yet they witness MPs wages being increased by thousands of pounds. It leaves them feeling further undervalued and treated with contempt," he said.
"It's important to remember that their working conditions are an essential part of your museum experience.
"They work hard to ensure that visitors to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums have a memorable and enjoyable experience, and they deserve to be paid fairly for their efforts.
"Our members have had enough of being paid poorly, and this pay offer is an insult to their hard work and dedication. With the cost of living crisis and inflation in double digits, our members are struggling to make ends meet.”
The museum has informed staff that it won't be able to open this Friday due to the proposed strike action by our members.
NIPSA’s General Secretary, Carmel Gates, has called on the Secretary of State to meet with the union to discuss our members' concerns.
Despite two requests for a meeting, nothing has been forthcoming. NIPSA has urged the government to provide proper funding for our public and civil services and to stop starving them to the point of collapse.
Ms Gates warned that this is only the start of the union's action.
"We are commencing our targeted action within the Cultra museums complex and if there is no resolution we are determined to escalate this across the entirety of the public services which the Northern Ireland Civil Service has responsibility for," she said.
NIPSA has urged the public to support the members as they take this action and to show solidarity with them. The union hopes that the government will come to the negotiating table with a fair and reasonable offer.
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll hit out at the recent investment announcement and called for NMNI to invest in their staff.
“National Museums NI are boasting about this extravagant investment when they should be investing in staff,” he said.
“Gushing statements about the reawakening of the museum are beyond crass. Museum bosses need to wake up to the effect of low pay on those who staff their facilities.
“Museums play an important role in preserving our cultural heritage, but it is the workers who fulfil that function. Plans to redevelop Ulster Folk and Transport Museum should be suspended until staff are paid a proper wage.”
A spokesperson for National Museums NI said: “We understand that some staff will participate in NIPSA’s coordinated strike action on Friday, March 17th as part of ongoing action in relation to the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pay Dispute.
"As a result, Ulster Folk Museum will be closed to the public, and the St Patrick’s Day event that was due to take place will no longer be going ahead. Ulster Transport Museum, Ulster Museum and Ulster American Folk Park will not be affected and all of our sites will be open as normal on March 18th.”
READ NEXT:
St Patrick's Day: Belfast City Council outline traffic and travel details
NI woman's sexual harassment case ends in nearly £19k tribunal award
Belfast city centre student block 'clustering' concerns raised
NI woman's memory lives on in fund helping refugees at Belfast school
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
