Press Releases
Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales proposes new structure
Date:
2013-01-24On Monday 21 January Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales began a period of consultation with its staff and partners, including the Trade Unions, regarding a proposed new structure for the organization.
The current financial climate poses unprecedented challenges for every public sector organization in Wales, and Amgueddfa Cymru is no exception. Amgueddfa Cymru is facing a reduced budget and must find £2.5m in savings over the next three years.
At the same time, the museums sector has been evolving and people’s expectations of museums are different today to what they were even a decade ago. Amgueddfa Cymru has to refocus its work to meet the changing expectations of its visitors.
Subject to the consultation, around 35 permanent posts will be lost from the current structure and, overall, around 160 posts affected in some way. Amgueddfa Cymru hopes to avoid compulsory redundancies by offering redeployment and schemes such as voluntary redundancy and early retirement.
The proposed changes will not affect the day-to-day operations of the seven national museums across Wales. Amgueddfa Cymru will continue to offer visitors quality experiences at each of its museums, which together attracted over 1.6 million people last year.
Amgueddfa Cymru also remains committed to delivering key projects such as the redevelopment of St Fagans: National History Museum, a National Museum of Natural Science and building on partnership work throughout Wales and beyond.
Amgueddfa Cymru has entered into a 90-day consultation process with its staff and other partners to fully explore all options and proposals.
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For more information, please contact Catrin Taylor, Corporate Communications on (029) 2057 3185 / 07920 027067 or email catrin.taylor@museumwales.ac.uk.
Notes to editors:
The figure of 160 affected staff includes:
Those taking Voluntary Redundancy
Those taking Early Retirement
Those whose terms and conditions of employment we propose to change
Those on fixed term contracts that we do not propose to renew or extend
Those whose post does not appear in the new structure and as a result may be redeployed, transferred to another location or, if no alternative employment can be found, may be made compulsory redundant.