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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Imperial War Museums privatises public face | Imperial War Museums privatises public face |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Imperial War Museums (IWM) is privatising visitor services at all its branches around the UK, awarding a £10m contract to a security company. | Imperial War Museums (IWM) is privatising visitor services at all its branches around the UK, awarding a £10m contract to a security company. |
| The move, which others in the arts sector have been watching, immediately came in for criticism from a staff union, which accused the museum of taking a gamble with its reputation as it prepares to play a central role in first world war centenary commemorations. | The move, which others in the arts sector have been watching, immediately came in for criticism from a staff union, which accused the museum of taking a gamble with its reputation as it prepares to play a central role in first world war centenary commemorations. |
| Staff were told on Wednesday morning of the decision to award the contract to the Shield Group, which will take responsibility for visitor services and security from April 2014, two months before IWM's flagship London museum is due to open "groundbreaking" new galleries to mark the centenary. | Staff were told on Wednesday morning of the decision to award the contract to the Shield Group, which will take responsibility for visitor services and security from April 2014, two months before IWM's flagship London museum is due to open "groundbreaking" new galleries to mark the centenary. |
| More than 100 staff are the daily, visible face of the museum at sites including the main London building, the Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast in the capital, the IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire and the IWM North in Manchester. | |
| Tenders for the contract had been invited against the backdrop of a cut in the museum's budget from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. | Tenders for the contract had been invited against the backdrop of a cut in the museum's budget from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. |
| Shield, the company awarded the IWM contract, is known to have advertised in the past for employees to work at other sites on controversial "zero hour" contracts. | Shield, the company awarded the IWM contract, is known to have advertised in the past for employees to work at other sites on controversial "zero hour" contracts. |
| IWM said in a statement it had started a review of visitor services and security in late 2011. It said: "This review focused on effectiveness, efficiencies and also opportunities for staff development offered by our current in-house structures, examining the methods we currently use and those available in the marketplace." | IWM said in a statement it had started a review of visitor services and security in late 2011. It said: "This review focused on effectiveness, efficiencies and also opportunities for staff development offered by our current in-house structures, examining the methods we currently use and those available in the marketplace." |
| It said the decision to outsource was "based on ensuring that our long-term quality needs can be satisfied by a provider who delivers optimum value for money and also excellent career opportunities for staff". | It said the decision to outsource was "based on ensuring that our long-term quality needs can be satisfied by a provider who delivers optimum value for money and also excellent career opportunities for staff". |
| Regulations meant IWM's visitor services and security team's employment terms and conditions were protected, it added. | Regulations meant IWM's visitor services and security team's employment terms and conditions were protected, it added. |
| IWM said in an additional statement later in the day: "IWM would not take any action that would jeopardise the museums, the quality of the visitor experience, the rights of Staff or the First World War Centenary commemorations. | IWM said in an additional statement later in the day: "IWM would not take any action that would jeopardise the museums, the quality of the visitor experience, the rights of Staff or the First World War Centenary commemorations. |
| "The greatest priority for both IWM and the Shield Group now will be to meet with Staff and PCS in the New Year to ensure everyone is fully supported throughout this transfer." | "The greatest priority for both IWM and the Shield Group now will be to meet with Staff and PCS in the New Year to ensure everyone is fully supported throughout this transfer." |
| However, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said the move was driven purely by a desire to reduce costs, and would put the first world war centenary commemorations at risk. | However, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said the move was driven purely by a desire to reduce costs, and would put the first world war centenary commemorations at risk. |
| The PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "As the eyes of the world look to the Imperial War Museums to mark the centenary of the first world war, it is taking a major gamble with its reputation. | The PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "As the eyes of the world look to the Imperial War Museums to mark the centenary of the first world war, it is taking a major gamble with its reputation. |
| "We believe that gifting this work to a profit-making company will lead to jobs and standards being cut, and risks a knowledge-drain from these highly prized visitor attractions." | "We believe that gifting this work to a profit-making company will lead to jobs and standards being cut, and risks a knowledge-drain from these highly prized visitor attractions." |
| A major redevelopment is going on at the London museum, where new first world war galleries are being built alongside a new central atrium space with large-object displays and new shops and cafes. | A major redevelopment is going on at the London museum, where new first world war galleries are being built alongside a new central atrium space with large-object displays and new shops and cafes. |
| It was recently announced that the scope of the building works was being widened. As a result, a decision was taken to close temporarily, from 6 January to July 2014, when the centenary commemorations will begin. | It was recently announced that the scope of the building works was being widened. As a result, a decision was taken to close temporarily, from 6 January to July 2014, when the centenary commemorations will begin. |
| • This article was amended on 12 December 2013. The original stated that "nearly 200 staff are the daily visible face of the museum". The correct figure is much closer to 100 than 200. | |
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