Workers at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) are set to protest this weekend as the charity plans its second round of redundancies in five years.
The RA is pushing ahead with proposals for job cuts, with 60 potential redundancies announced earlier this month. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) told Civil Society that almost one hundred roles are under scrutiny.
The charity said it must make savings because of increasing costs and changing visitor behaviours, which have put its financial position under strain.
Over 100 workers are expected to demonstrate against the redundancies outside the RA offices on Saturday 15 March.
Lack of confidence among RA workers
In a vote organised by the IWGB, 78% of 118 RA staff said they did not feel confident in RA’s president, interim chief executive and treasurer to steer the charity through its restructure.
Meanwhile, 98% said they did not believe that there had been appropriate accountability, with RA undergoing its second round of redundancies in under five years. In 2020, it cut 150 jobs.
Almost nine in 10 (89%) said they did not believe the charity’s consultation process had been genuine and meaningful, such as RA’s management listening to staff, considering alternatives and trying to reach an agreement. An identical proportion said they did not believe the proposed redundancy package was fair and equitable.
According to its latest annual accounts, the RA recorded a more than £8m deficit for the financial year ending August 2024, while its income fell by over £5m to £38.1m and its costs increased by almost £10m to £46.6m.
The charity said in its accounts that it expects to make a net loss of £7.1m in 2024-25.
‘RA’s leadership should be valuing staff’
Hana Nihill, a worker at the charity said: “Over my six years working at the RA, I have learned an immeasurable amount from my colleagues.
“Their passion, knowledge and willingness to be bold and open have been the bedrock of years of inspiring programming.
“It’s this kind of creativity and vision that the RA needs more of as we face uncertainty, not less.
“I’m so disappointed that so many of my colleagues are facing hugely challenging futures, when it’s their work that makes the RA a place worth visiting.”
Nihill said that rather than calling for redundancies, RA’s leadership “should be valuing staff and working collaboratively with us to protect jobs to create a truly sustainable organisation”.
A spokesperson for IWGB members at the charity said: “Management are making their second round of redundancies in under five years, and lining their pockets by refusing to engage meaningfully with the possibility of pay cuts for themselves.
They added that with fewer staff, institutions such as the RA would be unable to perform their work, leading to a reduction in access to art for the public.
“We call on RA’s management to immediately halt all mandatory redundancies. They only lead in one direction – a depleted institution, poorer quality of output, and diminished access to art for those who need it the most.”
RA: ‘We are facing a serious financial challenge’
A RA spokesperson told Civil Society: “All levels of the organisation will be affected with different impacts on different departments. No decisions have been taken and this is subject to consultation. Of the 60 roles that could be made redundant, almost half are currently vacant, therefore by not recruiting these roles, the number of redundancies may be mitigated.
“The RA Council, our main governing body on which a number of Royal Academicians serve as members, have approved the redundancy plans. The wider membership of Academicians has been informed.”
Natasha Mitchell, interim secretary and chief executive of RA said: “Together with many in the arts sector, we are facing a serious financial challenge.
“We have a robust plan to improve the RA’s financial position and the proposal to reduce our workforce has been put forward after careful consideration. We understand the profound impact these proposed changes will have and we are committed to supporting affected employees through this transition.
“This is a challenging time for all involved, however it is our belief that these steps are critical for ensuring a sustainable future for the RA.”
Related articles
