Turnout was well over the legal threshold for legitimacy.

The timetable of action will be determined in due course.

The 1.5% pay rise is the latest in a series of below-inflation pay rises which have left workers in the Museum of London with a 6% real terms pay cut since 2013. Over this time the gap between the highest and the lowest paid in the organisation has grown. The director’s salary has increased by 4.7% in real terms, this includes a 5% increase (including bonus) last year, and the number of employees earning over £100k a year has doubled.

Sharon Brown, Prospect negotiations officer, said:

“Our members at the Museum of London have been struggling with below-inflation pay rises for years. The turnout and size of the vote in favour of industrial action shows just how strongly our members feel about this.

“Workers have had a 1.5% pay rise forced on them but the director saw her pay increase by 5% last year. This discrepancy shows there is money available and makes our members all the more determined to get a fair deal.”

The Museum of London covers two sites at the Barbican and Docklands.

Background: The Museum will claim that with performance pay their offer achieves parity with inflation but an employee shouldn’t have to perform significantly above job requirements just to keep up with the cost of living. People need to be able to plan their finances and look after their families. A bonus should give people the possibility of improving their quality of life, not simply bring them up to the level they need to survive.