Irony of Credit Suisse Leonardo da Vinci sponsorship as National Gallery staff declare strike
19 January, 2012
by: Spoonfed Arts Team
The National Gallery staff go on strike today, blaming "an economic crisis caused by bankers".
It's been on the cards for a few months, but now it's official: staff at the National Gallery are to go on strike in protest against staff cuts. Members of the Public and Commercial Services union are to stage a two-hour walkout between 1pm and 3pm today, arguing that the government's spending cuts are to blame for their decision.
But visitors have been asked not to worry. A Gallery spokesman said: "The National Gallery will endeavour to keep as many gallery rooms open as possible, prioritising the Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan exhibition.”
The argument centres on the gallery's decision to increase the number of instances in which a gallery assistant invigilates two rooms rather than one. The fear from staff is that it exposes the artworks to damage and theft. Back in July 2011, for example, a painting by Nicolas Poussin was vandalised in broad daylight.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said that “instead of investing in the arts, and the people who look after them, the Government has imposed massive spending cuts on our museums and galleries to pay for an economic crisis caused by bankers”.
The irony of course is that the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition is sponsored by Swiss financial services giant Credit Suisse, who have long been associated with tax avoidance schemes like 'dividend washing'. If only all these companies paid their UK taxes then maybe the government wouldn't have had to lop 15% off the National Gallery's budget...
Read Tom's review of Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery.
Tax, Oil, Capitalism, Censorship - read our exploration of Corporate Sponsorship and the Arts.
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