The trust which runs the Royal Pavilion and the city’s museums has hit back at union claims it is facing bankruptcy.
The GMB has called three more days of strike action this week in protest at the trust no longer pledging to match local authority pay rises for its staff, many of whom were previously employed by Brighton and Hove City Council.
Brighton and Hove Museums CEO Hedley Swain also objected to the union singling out some staff as “more important” than others.
The museums – Brighton Museum, Hove Museum and Preston Manor – will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as a result of the strike action, while the Royal Pavilion’s opening hours will be reduced to 10am to 3pm.
Mr Swain said: “For months, we have acted with the utmost patience and respect as we navigate the harsh economic realities facing the cultural sector.
“Making minor adjustments to our terms is not a choice; it is an absolute necessity if we are to protect the financial resilience of this charity, safeguard five significant historic buildings, and care for over one million items in our collections.
“It is deeply disappointing that, rather than engaging in constructive dialogue to help us protect these sites, GMB officials are choosing to fabricate a crisis for a media headline.
“Their spurious actions are disrespectful towards our hardworking charitable trust staff, who pay the union to negotiate and deserve far better representation.
“Furthermore, it is disingenuous and highly divisive for union officials to publicly claim that one specific group of our workforce is ‘more important’ than another.
“We are an organisation filled with dedicated, highly skilled professionals across every single department, from front of house to finance, world-class conservation, and education.
“Every single member of our team is valued equally, and it is insulting to the rest of our staff for the GMB to diminish their contributions.
“No one wins during a strike, and our door remains firmly open for genuine, realistic negotiation this coming Tuesday.
“In the meantime, I want to personally thank the vast majority of our team who are continuing to work incredibly hard to support one another and welcome our visitors through our doors.”
The GMB said on Friday the trust had rejected its proposals and withdrawing a previous offer .
The trust said a meeting was due to take place tomorrow.
Perhaps Hedley Swain should take a pay cut? Or is it essential that he keeps his full £90k per year salary?