BIG Pit employees are eager to return to the ‘best job in the world’, pending an agreement between National Museum Wales and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

All staff from cleaners to tour guides have not worked at the Blaenavon museum since Thursday, April 28 due to the strike.

National Museum Wales and the PCS are at loggerheads over premium payment allowances, payments to staff for weekend and bank holiday work.

“We don’t want to be standing here telling visitors from Australia and America that we’re closed, and turning them away,” said Peter Harding, a tour guide at Big Pit for 11 years.

“Seeing their disappointment, especially with children, is hard.”

A National Museum Wales spokeswoman said discussions are ongoing with the union and individuals involved and the museum is pleased to see so many employees taking the opportunity to have their say.

The dispute, which started two years ago, with National Museum Wales is over proposed changes to weekend working allowances, also known as premium payments.

“It has a massive effect on the workforce and not just in Big Pit, but across all of the museums. We just don’t think that this is recognised at the highest level,” said the PCS representative at Big Pit.

“We love this place and in our opinion, it is the best job in the world. But if we have these weekend payments taken off us, we simply can’t afford to come to work. That would be detrimental to the museum.”

A National Museum Wales spokeswoman said: “A number of Wales’ national museums, including Big Pit National Coal Museum, are currently being affected by continuous industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), over proposed changes to weekend working allowances (premium payments).

“Representatives from the museum have met with representatives from PCS in recent weeks. These meetings were to explore the potential for a resolution.

“While these discussions continue, we are progressing with individual consultation as planned, which provides all affected staff with an opportunity to have their say on the cessation of premium payments. Nobody will lose their jobs through this process.

“A separate meeting has been held with our trade unions to discuss the number of weekends our staff work – a key issue raised through the individual consultation process.”

PCS members from Big Pit joined other striking museum union members at Cardiff rallies and protested at the Senedd.

“As opposed to strikes in the past, when we were talking about money and pay rises, this is about what we already have and what the museum want to take away,” added Mr Harding.

“We have cleaners who are on £11 to £12k per annum. These payments, well actually they work more weekends than the tour guides, can amass to around £2k per annum. It’s a massive impact on their pay.”