Workers at the recently opened V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, London, have voted unanimously to strike over working conditions that their union describes as "Amazon-style."

Prospect, the trade union representing the workers, announced on 30 July 2026 that its members working as collections access officers — staff who handle and provide access to the museum's stored objects — would walk out. The dispute is specific to the East Storehouse, but it runs alongside a second, broader vote: Prospect members across all four Victoria and Albert Museum sites in London have also backed industrial action, in a dispute covering pay, working conditions, and what the union calls the museum's refusal to engage with it. The all-museum ballot saw an 82% turnout among Prospect members (Artforum).

The V&A East Storehouse, which Prospect described as "recently opened" in its 30 July announcement, is the museum's newest London site. The institution's other locations include Young V&A in Bethnal Green (Artforum).

The Guardian reported on 29 July 2026 that the Storehouse dispute includes complaints about staff toilet access. The newspaper also noted that food and drink are not permitted for visitors at the site, a rule that has contributed to tensions over conditions (The Guardian).

The V&A East Storehouse is part of the wider V&A group, which operates across four London sites and holds one of the world's largest collections of decorative arts and design. The storehouse is designed to give public access to thousands of objects normally held behind the scenes — a model that puts collections access officers at the front line of visitor experience.

A third union is circling the dispute. PCS — the Public and Commercial Services Union — said on 27 July 2026 that it was polling its V&A members on whether they would take strike action over pay, conditions, and "dignity" at work (PCS).

The unrest is not confined to the V&A. Prospect members at Royal Museums Greenwich — the body that runs the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, and other historic sites — were voting in their own industrial action ballot as of 23 July 2026, campaigning for better working conditions (Prospect).

No strike dates have been announced for either V&A dispute. The museum has not yet publicly responded to the ballot results.