Museum strikers in York today pledged to fight on after their Bank Holiday protest, which cost the city an estimated £30,000 in takings.

Declaring the four-day strike a success, union officials said that support had come from visitors to the four council-run museums who had to be turned away, and from other council workers in York.

The impact on other tourist attractions during one of the busiest weekends of the year appears to have been minimal, with the Jorvik Viking Centre reporting a slight drop in visitor numbers and the National Railway Museum saying it was roughly the same as last year.

The City of York Council estimated that £30,000 had been lost in takings with the museums being closed over four days.

The strikers were protesting about being asked to accept a cut in their weekend pay rate because of a growing financial crisis, coinciding with the City of York Council advertising the post of museums director at a salary of £50,000.

Unison official Peter Household said: "We are meeting on Thursday to consider our next move and high up on the agenda will be arranging further strikes.

"The council have said they are going ahead anyway, but if they want to go on, we'll go on.

"We're extremely pleased with the number of people who went out to picket and all the workers are going back to work today with their heads held up high."

Up to 50 people took part in pickets at the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum, York Story and City Art Gallery during the weekend, hundreds of people signed a petition of support and about £700 has been collected for the strike fund.

The majority of disappointed visitors who were turned away from the Castle Museum yesterday said they were in sympathy with the strikers, and found other things to do.

Amanda Wood, who grew up in Fangfoss, near Pocklington, brought her husband Dale and mother-in-law Vicky from Bradford to show them the sights she used to visit as a child and the Castle Museum was top of the list.

She said: "We are disappointed, but I can see their point."

David and Kathleen Boyer and their daughter Cathryn, from Chesterfield, were staying in York for the weekend to visit the Elvington Air Show.

They decided to visit the Minster and the Jorvik Viking Centre after finding the Castle Museum closed.

"We've been before and liked it, but if this is going to mean their jobs, then I agree with what they are doing," said David.

But Julie and Terry Harding, from Huddersfield, were furious after bringing their sons Matthew, 13, and Sam 10, to visit the museum for the first time.

Julie said: "I can't believe they have done this. We came specifically to go there. I don't feel any sympathy for them and the people they are hitting are the children."

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