DOZENS of staff were today picketing the entrance of one of York's most prestigious museums in a row over poor pay.

Union members were staging a day of action at the National Railway Museum after talks with management failed to resolve the dispute.

They claimed that although the Leeman Road attraction remained open, not all of the exhibitions were running because of low staff numbers.

But museum bosses said the vast majority of displays, including the popular 60th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine, were going ahead as usual.

The strike took place after members of the Prospect and PCS trade unions rejected a 2.5 per cent pay increase offer by the by the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) earlier this month.

Catherine Craig, of PCS, claimed visitor numbers were already down after several warnings about disruption caused by the strike.

She said: "It's really a protest, not a strike. We are setting down a marker for future negotiations.

"This is not something that is particular to the NMSI family of museums. It's right across the cultural sector that pay is being threatened."

But Camilla Harrison, of the NRM, said it was "business as usual". She said: "We are expecting to offer our visitors a full service. There is nothing to indicate numbers are down."

The NMSI also runs the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television in Bradford and the Science Museum in London.

Updated: 15:10 Wednesday, February 16, 2005