National Galleries set to close on certain days during busy Edinburgh festival season amid staff strikes
The closures come after the PCS union announced that staff would be staging strikes during the busy festival period.
National Galleries of Scotland has announced that its main Edinburgh venues will be closed to the public on certain days this month amid staff strikes.
The National, Modern and Portrait galleries, including their shops and cafes, will shut their doors this Saturday, August 8, with further closures on Wednesday, August 12 and Thursday, August 20.
The National Gallery and Modern One and Two will also be closed on Sunday, August 16, alongside the upper floors of the Portrait Gallery.
The Royal Scottish Academy will also be closed on August 12, August 16, and August 20.
The grounds and car parks at Modern One and Two galleries will remain open as normal. The ‘Catherine Opie: To Be Seen’ summer exhibition will open as intended at the Royal Scottish Academy on Saturday, August 8.
The closures come during Edinburgh’s festival season, which sees the city’s population double.
National Galleries of Scotland told visitors: “Due to industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union we’ve had to make changes to when our galleries are open on certain days this August.
“Between these dates, the galleries - as well as ‘Catherine Opie: To Be Seen’ - will be open for you to visit and enjoy. Existing ticket holders will be contacted.
“We’re really sorry for any inconvenience. Our colleagues, visitors and the art in our care remain our highest priorities.”
The temporary closures comes as staff stage a walkout between August 7 and August 20 in response to what the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union described as “damaging” changes to working practices.
Around 80 per cent of union members voted in favour of industrial action amid a dispute over new minimum staffing level requirements, which the union has argued could lead to “serious” health and safety concerns and “threats to the quality of the experience for visitors”.
PCS Scotland national officer, Ruby Gibson said: “This ballot result is a clear message to NGS management that our members will not allow damaging changes to be imposed upon them.
“This situation exposes the reality of Ivan McKee’s Public Service Reform strategy for what it is – more cuts to public services with no regard for the workforce.
"PCS will not allow the government’s plans for Public Service Reform to act as a smokescreen for attacks on jobs and conditions.
"While the government are full of rhetoric about 'consulting the workforce', the reality is that highly paid and unaccountable senior leaders are charging ahead, cutting service delivery with complete disregard for the people who do the actual work.”
A spokesperson from the National Galleries of Scotland said: “We are disappointed that Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the union representing some of our visitor facing colleagues, has announced four days of strike action between 7 and 20 August.
“This is not the outcome any of us wanted after months of meetings and discussions with colleagues and PCS. Throughout this process, we have been open and transparent with both colleagues and PCS, engaging extensively to explain the changes and listening to concerns.
“However, we must correct some misinformation. Our colleagues, visitors and the art in our care remain our highest priorities. No one has lost their job, and the way we operate our Galleries has not changed.
“In line with the operational structure agreed following consultation with PCS in 2023, five vacant positions were not filled as part of our long standing approach to vacancy management. Staffing levels across our visitor facing team have increased, and are 16 per cent higher than the 2023/24 and 2025/26 averages. Our operational needs continue to evolve, and we have recently welcomed 52 new colleagues to support our summer exhibitions.”
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