The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery director went public yesterday after more than a week of back-room discussions and speculation on his future.

He also said he had recently laid complaints of misconduct against three Launceston City Council aldermen.

Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski said that Mr Filmer-Sankey was not at work yesterday but had not been sacked.

Both the museum director and Mr Dobrzynski confirmed that the matter had come to a head after long-term staff disquiet about workplace conditions.

Mr Dobrzynski said that Mr Filmer-Sankey had been asked last month to say why disciplinary action should not be taken against him in relation to alleged staff bullying and harassment at the museum while he was director.

"The bullying and harassment charges were not directed at Mr Filmer-Sankey but he was director over a long period of time while these matters were occurring," Mr Dobrzynski said.

Mr Dobrzynski said that Mr Filmer-Sankey had indicated to him last Friday that he intended to resign but he believed that situation had now changed.

Museum staff were briefed at a special meeting yesterday while aldermen were briefed at a closed council session.

Mr Filmer-Sankey said he spoke out because of his concern about the loss of the director's job and the possibility of a downgrading of the council-owned museum.

He said that allegations of misconduct had never been brought against him.

He had instead taken out complaints of misconduct against three aldermen arising from matters that had taken place over a long period at the museum, starting when he arrived three-and-a-half years ago.

"I was told to cut staff by 30 per cent and I said that I would do no more than 10 per cent but I believe that some staff have never forgiven me," he said.

Mr Filmer-Sankey said that he would not sign a deed-of-release document offered to him by Mr Dobrzynski at last Friday's meeting.

Mr Filmer-Sankey said that a resignation letter had been prepared for him and the deed of release stipulated that he was not to speak publicly about the matter.

"I'm not going to do that because I wouldn't then be able to talk about my concerns about the museum, which have been confirmed by events this morning," he said.

He said that there was a strategy for the museum to be moved into the leisure and recreation department at the council after he left and overseen by acting director Rod Sweetnam.

He believed this would see the facility lose its national status as a high-profile regional museum.

He said it would also destroy a planned lobbying campaign for a significant increase in state government funding to the museum.

Mr Dobrzynski said that the council would look at the whole operation of the museum to establish a sound strategic direction.

Mr Filmer-Sankey and his lawyer have been called to a meeting with the council tomorrow where he believes that he will be sacked.

However, there are already signs of a community campaign to keep Mr Filmer-Sankey in his job.