Imperial War Museum redundancies

Motion Text

That this House notes the recent announcement of 49 redundancies across Visitor Services at the Imperial War Museum and its sister bodies; understands that jobs will be lost at numerous sites including the Churchill War Rooms, Imperial War Museums North and South and HMS Belfast; is aware that the contract for these roles has been outsourced since 2013 with a new contract awarded in January 2021 to ZE Global; is aware that ZE Global took over the Visitor Services contract in April 2021 and announced redundancies four weeks later on May 6th; is concerned that the loss of 49 posts across the estate will not only lead to a significant reduction in expertise and knowledge but will also pose a threat to the safety of those attending each institution; is aware that ZE Global and museum management have conducted a review and drawn up redundancy plans without consulting staff trade unions; and calls on Government to intervene to ensure jobs are retained across the estate and the safety of staff, visitors and exhibits is prioritised.