Twelve months after it appeared on the picket line at Amazon’s BHX4 warehouse in Coventry the ‘Deceptioncon’ robot costume will go on display at People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester. It was created by members of the GMB union and was worn at a strike that took place on Black Friday in November 2023 to illustrate how Amazon workers felt that they were being treated like robots. Deceptioncon will go on display at the national museum of democracy from Friday 29 November 2024 until Monday 24 March 2025.
Amazon workers were striking for better working conditions and a pay increase to £15 per hour. They were also demanding union recognition. This was in the same year that Amazon’s total revenue reached $575billion and workers were told that their pay would be increased to at least £12.30 by April (2024). There is still no union recognition twelve months on.
Lisa Peatfield, Collections Manager at People’s History Museum, says, “Several objects from GMB’s strike action at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse have come into the collection at PHM. Along with Deceptioncon there is a placard from the picket line and a hi-vis jacket worn by a union member. We’ve collected this material to represent contemporary strike action by workers to demand better pay and conditions from global, vastly profitable corporations such as Amazon.”
The new objects will take their place alongside historic pieces in the museum’s collection, which tell of the foundations of the trade union movement and campaigns by workers to seek representation and better working conditions. These include the Grunwick strike of 1976 to 1978 and the Miners’ Strike of 1984 to 1985.
Encapsulating the theme of strikes is a new commission by activist artists the Rickard Sisters called Time to Strike, which is being carried on decorative match boxes (available in PHM Shop at the museum and online) and on board Greater Manchester’s Bee Network buses in a creative campaign with Transport for Greater Manchester. Deceptioncon will also be the inspiration for some robot themed Family Friendly activities in the Playful Protest Space during the February half term holidays launching on Saturday 15 February 2025. More details to follow.
Deceptioncon will go on display in the entrance to People’s History Museum alongside an image taken of it being worn on the picket line. This marks the start of a visit that includes more stories about campaigns for union rights, strike action and workers’ rights in the main galleries.
People’s History Museum’s opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm, every day except Tuesdays. Museum entry is free, with most visitors donating £10. To find out about visiting PHM, its full exhibitions and events programme visit phm.org.uk and you can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to receive PHM’s e-newsletter.
ENDS
For further information, to arrange a visit or interview please contact Fido PR:
laura.sullivan@fidopr.co.uk / clare.short@fidopr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
About People’s History Museum
People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester is the UK’s national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain: past, present, and future. Through an eclectic and colourful mix of historic and contemporary collections, featuring banners, badges, posters, photography and more, the museum celebrates the radical stories of people coming together to champion ideas worth fighting for.
Offering an engaging programme of exhibitions and events, collaborating with communities to create authentic content, the museum is Family Friendly throughout – inspiring the next generation to be active citizens.
People’s History Museum encourages visitors to be empowered by the past to make a change for the future. We are all together in the fight for a fairer world.
About Arts Council England (ACE)
PHM is an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). The work of PHM is supported using public funding by ACE, the national development agency for creativity and culture. ACE have set out their strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 they want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 they will invest over £467 million of public money from government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.
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