UNION members are to hold a protest on salary freezes outside the new Museum of Liverpool today.

Trade unionists from across the country are travelling to the city to support the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union in their demonstration, which is due to take place from 6pm.

PCS leaders say a four-year pay freeze, introduced by National Museums Liverpool in response to government funding cuts, should not apply to the lowest paid employees.

A ballot for industrial action will open next week.

Clara Paillard, PCS chair for NML branch, said: “The new museum has cost the taxpayer more than £72m while many of the museums workers are expected to live in poverty.

“We want the public to be able to enjoy the new museum but not at our expense.

“We’re asking visitors to support us by writing to the museums’ directors asking them to honour the pay rise even the government says we should have.”

An NML spokesman said: “Our priority has been to maintain world class museums and also to keep the talented people who run them.

“Through hard work and tough decisions, there have been no compulsory redundancies at NML.

“Like everyone else we are operating in difficult economic times, but in order to protect jobs we cannot afford pay rises.”