No More Holding It: V&A Workers Win Breaks
Harold Phillips | Published on 8/9/2026
Workers at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) East Storehouse in Stratford (UK) have won their dispute over toilet and hydration breaks. Staff at the museum’s newest site had planned to strike over not having adequate toilet breaks or opportunities to have a drink of water.
They had claimed they were being treated worse than colleagues at other locations and were only given one break, despite long periods of manual labour. The V&A has now notified members that it would be changing its policy and grant them the requested two paid customary breaks a day.
However, members of the Prospect Union will still strike over wider issues on pay and other terms and conditions. This strike will take place across three other V&A locations in the capital. The union is calling for a minimum 4 per cent wage increase for staff earning above the living wage and time-and-a-half pay for bank holidays.
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