Artwork calls for Tate Modern to pay the Living Wage

Priests, Rabbis, and community leaders from South London Citizens presented an artwork to the Tate Modern on Saturday calling on Tate Director, Sir Nicholas Serota, to pay the Living Wage.

Rev. Giles Goddard, Vicar of St John’s, Waterloo said “The Tate is changing and we believe that paying the Living Wage should be part of that change. The Living Wage rewards a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay and is the minimum that the staff deserve at a world-class gallery.”

50 community leaders from churches, synagogues, schools, and migrant organisations gathered outside Tate Modern to paint a Lichtenstein-inspired artwork with a message to the Director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota, with a speech bubble saying ‘ OH, SIR NICHOLAS...I LOVE YOU, TOO...BUT... PAY THE LIVING WAGE?’. The group then carried the two-metre painting into the Tate's famous Turbine Hall and, surrounded by a crowd of surprised onlookers, presented it to the duty manager along with a letter to Sir Nicholas asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the Living Wage.

The action came the day before Living Wage Week, hosted annually in the first week of November to celebrate and promote the Living Wage.

Rabbi Janet Darley from South London Liberal Synagogue said “We are looking forward to meeting with Sir Nicholas and explaining to him why it is so important for him to accredit the Tate as a Living Wage employer. We love the Tate galleries and know that they can afford to pay the Living Wage so we’ll keep up the pressure until Sir Nicholas does the right thing.”