MUSEUM and art gallery staff in Southampton are set to stage another walkout tomorrow in a dispute over pay and working hours.

The City Art Gallery, Maritime Museum and the Museum of Archaeology will close as city council workers hold a second one-day strike over the proposed loss of pay enhancements on Saturdays.

Union bosses said members have already agreed to work Sundays as part of their contractual hours, rather than as overtime, as part of a bid by the council to increase opening hours of the attractions.

Tory city leisure chief Councillor John Hannides said the changes would save tens of thousands of pounds and allow the gallery and museums to remain open seven days a week. Currently, the attractions close on Mondays Unite union rep Terry Hinton said 11 members of staff would walk out again over what he said amounted to a £1,500 pay cut for “some of the lowest paid council employees”.

Union members have also been instructed to work to rule. It means gallery and museums will be shut every Sunday and Monday until the dispute is resolved.

Last Saturday they formed a picket line outside the Maritime Museum, near Town Quay.