WORKERS at the British Library in London have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over pay, their union said today.

Over 300 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members who work at the British Library in the Prime Minister’s constituency of Holborn and St Pancras will walk out from October 27 to November 9.

They voted 98.23 per cent in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 75.17 per cent.

Their key demand is an inflation-proof pay rise after a second consecutive year of a real-terms pay cuts.

While the British Library initially proposed a 2 per cent pay award, with some receiving as little as 1.6 per cent, it has since increased the offer to 2.4 per cent.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “[Workers] are livid at yet another insulting pay offer that does little to alleviate the health problems that many suffer from because of low pay.

“Nor does it come close to ending the need for many to work second jobs and take out loans to pay their bills and meet their housing costs.”

A British Library spokesperson said that PCS’s claims “contain inaccuracies,” and that the Library has made a formal pay offer of 3 per cent as well as reaffirming its commitment to being a Living Wage Foundation Employer.

“Separately, a restructure of senior management is underway; however, details of this process remain confidential while those who are affected are consulted,” they said.