British Library Under Fire After Advising Staff to ‘Cut Back on Christmas’ During Pay Row

The British Library is facing a growing backlash after a staff “health and wellbeing” newsletter suggested workers could respond to the cost-of-living crisis by skipping Christmas presents, “cutting back on Christmas nibbles” and swapping gifts for vouchers offering a walk in the park or household chores – just as hundreds of employees begin a fresh round of strike action over pay. The memo was first reported in detail by The Telegraph , which highlighted how staff were encouraged to rethink festive spending.

The newsletter lands at a sensitive moment. Around 350 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are staging a five-day walkout in an ongoing dispute over what they describe as “chronic low pay” and spiralling workloads at one of the UK’s most prestigious cultural institutions. The strike is part of a broader campaign that has already caused disruption to services, with further details reported by outlets such as the Evening Standard .

What did the British Library memo say?

According to reports, the newsletter offered “money-saving ideas” for staff ahead of Christmas, including:

• Having a conversation with loved ones about the cost-of-living crisis and “mutually skipping presents this year”.
• Offering handmade alternatives such as a voucher for a homecooked meal, a walk in the park or help with chores.
• Buying second-hand gifts.
• “Cutting back on Christmas nibbles” while still “tucking into turkey, but beware of the extras”.
• Encouraging staff to “talk about their feelings” and “be who you are”.

Management framed the suggestions as part of a wellbeing push during a difficult economic period, but for many staff the timing and tone of the advice – arriving days before renewed strike action – felt jarring.

Union says “tasteless” tips ignore reality of low pay

The PCS union, which represents British Library staff, has condemned the memo as “tasteless” and “condescending”, arguing that workers should not be told to shrink their Christmas just to cope with pay that has failed to keep pace with inflation. In an article on its website, titled “British Library Christmas shopping tips leave bitter taste for PCS members”, the union sets out why the guidance angered staff. The full statement can be read via PCS’s official reaction .

Earlier this year, British Library workers rejected an improved pay offer that included a minimum 3.8% increase for eligible staff backdated to August, saying it still left them worse off in real terms after years of below-inflation settlements. Union leaders are now demanding a pay rise linked to inflation, alongside restoration of previous shortfalls.

One of the reasons the story has resonated so strongly is that it taps into a wider sense of unfairness around how ordinary people are being asked to economise during the cost-of-living crisis. From soaring rents to rising fuel bills and steep penalties for everyday slip-ups – such as controversial private parking fines across the UK – many workers feel they are being squeezed from all sides.

Strikes, cyberattack fallout and a leadership vacuum

The memo controversy is only the latest flashpoint in a turbulent period for the British Library. Staff staged a two-week strike earlier in the autumn and have now returned to the picket line for a shorter, pre-Christmas walkout, with further disruption possible if no agreement is reached.

Reporting by arts and culture outlet The Art Newspaper has set the current dispute in a wider context, highlighting how staff say they have faced “increased poverty and debt” and a rise in health issues, while also dealing with the fallout from a major cyberattack in October 2023 that disrupted systems and services.

The funding and management pressures were underscored last month when chief executive Rebecca Lawrence resigned after less than a year in the role, leaving a leadership gap at a time when industrial relations are worsening rather than improving.

British Library “committed” to a negotiated settlement

In response to the latest strike and criticism of the memo, a British Library spokesperson has said the organisation remains committed to working with unions to reach a negotiated pay settlement and to ensure any agreement is reflected in staff salaries “as timely as possible”.

The library has also pointed to its difficult financial position, highlighting the impact of the cyberattack and wider pressure on public funding. However, union leaders insist that staff should not be made to shoulder the burden through wage restraint, particularly when inflation and rent increases have eroded living standards.

For visitors, the dispute may mean reduced access to reading rooms, delayed services and the cancellation of some events during strike days. For staff, though, the memo has come to symbolise something deeper: a feeling that their loyalty and professionalism are being rewarded not with fair pay, but with advice to downgrade Christmas.

Cost-of-living crisis meets Christmas culture wars

The British Library row reflects a broader national conversation about how far workers should be expected to “tighten their belts” as prices remain high and pay packets lag behind. Across the public and cultural sectors, unions have launched or renewed strike action in the run-up to Christmas, from museums and galleries to rail workers and local government staff.

Against that backdrop, the suggestion that staff should simply skip gifts or “cut back on nibbles” has proved an easy lightning rod for frustration online. Critics say it risks shifting responsibility for the cost-of-living crisis onto individuals’ personal choices rather than addressing structural issues like pay, housing and energy bills.

Supporters of the striking staff have been urged to show solidarity on the picket line outside the British Library’s London site, share messages on social media and pressure MPs to back increased funding.

What happens next?

With talks over pay still unresolved, further industrial action at the British Library cannot be ruled out. The memo may eventually be remembered as a footnote in a longer dispute – but for now it has crystallised the anger of workers who feel that, after years of tightening budgets, being told to “cut back on Christmas” is a step too far.

Whether management and unions can find common ground in the coming weeks will determine not just how quickly normal service resumes for readers and researchers, but also whether the British Library can repair trust with the staff who keep the national collection running.