A 10-day strike starting at the National Gallery on Tuesday has taken on an added dimension now one of the Public and Commercial Services union’s senior representatives, Candy Udwin – suspended on the eve of the first strike in February (Letters, 12 March) – has been sacked. The union’s members there have already taken 24 days of industrial action against unprecedented plans to privatise all of the gallery’s visitor services. There will also be a national demonstration on Saturday 30 May on the gallery’s doorstep in Trafalgar Square in London. This will not only be an opportunity to support the campaign but also to protest against the kind of Tory cuts that led to this decision and against what is an attack on trade unions. This privatisation is unnecessary and is damaging the reputation of one of our country’s finest cultural institutions. We are fully committed to opposing it and the victimisation of Candy, who has done nothing more than stand up for her colleagues and try to hold her employer to account. The attack on her is a direct and cynical attack on her union and we call on the gallery management and trustees to overturn the decision.
Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary
Christine Blower NUT general secretary
Jo Brand comedian
Russell Brand comedian
Brian Campfield NIPSA general secretary
Earl of Clancarty
Manuel Cortes TSSA general secretary
Ronnie Draper BFAWU general secretary
Richard Evans Society and College of Radiographers chief executive
Kate Fallon Association of Educational Psychologists general secretary
Larry Flanagan EIS general secretary
Steve Gillan POA general secretary
Lee Hall author
Sally Hunt UCU general secretary
Owen Jones author
Chris Keates NASUWT general secretary
Peter Kennard artist
Ian Lawrence NAPO general secretary
Ken Loach film director
Francesca Martinez comedian
Len McCluskey Unite general secretary
John McDonnell MP
Bob Monks URTU general secretary
Steve Murphy UCATT general secretary
Ged Nichols Accord general secretary
Dave Penman FDA general secretary
David Shrigley artist
Bob and Roberta Smith artist
John Smith Musicians’ Union general secretary
Kate Smurthwaite comedian
Mark Thomas comedian
Mick Whelan ASLEF general secretary
Matt Wrack FBU general secretary
• Earlier this week Will Coldwell selected the Museum of Caricature in Warsaw as, “one of the best 10 museums in Europe ... that you’ve never heard of” (18 May). How sad then that the Warsaw mayor’s office has instigated a process to close the museum and incorporate it and its collections within a department at the larger Museum of Warsaw. Although deputy mayor Jaroslaw Jozwiak says a final decision has not yet been made and this does not represent a liquidation of the museum and its collections, there is no doubt that the loss of this recognised small museum will mean less access to its 20,000 drawings and research facilities. Musician Tom Lipinski, son of the founder of the Muzeum Karykatury, is leading a campaign to save the premises that are housed in an old orangery, once part of the 18th-century Prymas Castle, and the Cartoon Museum in London fully supports, and encourages others to help save this small, but vibrant, important outlet for european cartoon art.
Anita O’Brien Director curator, Oliver Preston Chairman, Kenneth Baker Vice-chairman, Steve Bell Trustee, Martin Rowson Trustee
Cartoon Museum, London
