Kmflett's Blog

Scrooge at the British Library

Ive been a reader at the British Library since 1984 and the days of the old Round Reading Room. I won’t be stopping by this week (although my unfulfilled research agenda remains as long as ever) because library workers are out on strike (8-12 December) over a below inflation pay offer. All reading rooms are closed.

The Library doesn’t currently have a Director, the last one resigned for unexplained reasons in November, but the message below was still despatched to workers. Clearly whoever wrote is something of a fan of parts of Charles Dickens 1843 Christmas Carol

PCS press release

Last week, staff were sent an internal newsletter which promotes being “in extremely good health and spirits”. As part of its concern to maximise Christmas joy, the newsletter’s author acknowledges the extremely low wages of some staff and helpfully suggests: “Consider having a conversation with loved ones about the cost-of-living crisis and propose that you mutually skip presents this year.” Nearly 350 British Library staff, members of Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) began a second wave of strikes today (8) over a sub-inflation pay offer that was below the recommended public service improvement level.