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Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - BAJR Host - 5th September 2007
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay
In April 2007, the IFA introduced an expanded set of minimum pay recommendations, recognising the fact that pay is only one part of the total employment package and setting minimum standards for working time, holiday and sick pay, and employer pension contributions.
The new pay minima, which are binding on RAOs, are an important step forward but are still based on minimum salary levels which do not compare well with those in other professions. In order to raise minimum pay levels, a robust methodology is needed to allow reliable comparisons to be drawn with salaries in related professions, leading to pay minima which reflect more accurately the qualifications, skills and experience of professional archaeologists.
In order to move this issue forward, the IFA has employed a consultant to facilitate the process of âbenchmarkingâ archaeological salaries against those in other industries.
Frank Price is an experienced human resources consultant with a background advising on job evaluation schemes (amongst other things) at the Conciliation Service ACAS. He will oversee the process and provide independent expert advice to a Project Advisory Board and Working Group comprising representatives of a wide cross section of different interests including the IFA RAO and Working Practices committees and Finds Group, SCAUM, Prospect, BAJR and the Diggersâ Forum.
Over the coming months, the working group will be identifying a range of archaeological posts to use as comparators and gathering data on salaries and entry requirements for them. These âbenchmarkâ posts will then be assessed using job evaluation techniques so that they can be compared objectively to similar posts in other professions. The sectors currently being considered as comparable are engineering, planning, environmental management, other areas of the heritage sector, surveying and architecture although others may be suggested along the way. The information from this comparison will be used to inform future revisions to the IFA minimum salaries. If, as we suspect, the results indicate that archaeologistsâ qualifications and skills are not being reflected accurately in their pay, significant increases in the IFA minimum salary levels will be subject to extensive consultation and staged over a number of years.
The timetable for the project is to complete data gathering over the summer and analysis in September, with the aim of reporting preliminary results at the IFA AGM on October 1.
Other initiatives on pay and conditions like the Diggersâ Forum Campaign for a Living Wage, SCAUMâs recently published statement of good practice and the revised BAJR pay levels are increasingly putting pressure on the archaeological sector to deal with the issue of pay. Although there are many factors contributing to low pay, we are confident that real progress will have been made before the 2008/9 pay minima are announced next year.
BAJR Note:
You can be assured that I am working with everyone on this and we are all pushing the same way... this is really happening, and is happening right now... we are all putting in a lot of time, effort and work... I was yesterday at another meeting in London... up at 5am.. back at midnight... just so we can drive it forward... this is looking good... so hold tight!
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - Real Job - 6th September 2007
News of the 'wage comparing' exercise is very heartening. I regard this as a very positive move from the IFA and one that can only be good news for all field archaeologists. Even if there is no direct effect, its ammunition...
Two questions:
- When will the exercise be completed?
- Will the results be published/accessable to all?
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - BAJR Host - 6th September 2007
We complete the benchmarking October... then there is the benchmarking outwith the profession ... then there is the fianl look... so I hope to see a final report before the next round of Pay scales..
Then the fun starts!
So
Q1 October, November, Jan
Q2 Ongoing... and before April 2008
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - trowelfodder - 12th September 2007
Will this pay recomendation be able to help those of us who work for units with the council linked pay scales who didnt get last years raise yet?
And how realistic is it likely to be - sorry to sound so negative but have read so many reports saying that we are poorly paid is one more going to make a difference?
Nice one for trying tho
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - BAJR Host - 12th September 2007
Well certainly we are not doing it for fun!
and it is one of the problems with County Scales, Museum Scales, Private Contracting SCales etc etc... Merging into one has been trouble (but possible... ie.. look at the BAJR SCales) however what is needed is a telescoping of the scaels so that after ten years and working as a PM, you actually make a lot more for all the extra stress, work etc that you do (for example) This is also meeting the Challange of APPAG ... now with recognised scales, Couties will have accepted scales to benchmark against... and not just made up scales, but industry recognised scales... ps... I have been told that when the pay rise comes in... everyone who has worked for a council unit will have a lovely surprise ... a back dated cheque...
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - kevin wooldridge - 13th September 2007
Quote:quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host
ps... I have been told that when the pay rise comes in... everyone who has worked for a council unit will have a lovely surprise ... a back dated cheque...
....but I have also heard (and this was kinda 'leaked' by government spinners following Brown's speech to the TUC earlier this week) that the proposed wage increase for local government employees in 2008 is .....nil!! So maybe this years backdated increase is going to have to go a long way...
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - BAJR Host - 13th September 2007
hmmm.... not what I heard in my council (which of course could mean anything!)
I would not expect such an act... as thats asure fire "strike button" pressing action
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
Improving Archaeologistsâ Pay - kevin wooldridge - 13th September 2007
The formula that was outlined on the radio (and I understand is already being implemented for some public servant payrises) is for a staged deal that might be something like 4% in total over 3 years, but would involve a gap of at least 12 months between the stagings, so in effect missing out one 'round' of annual pay increases.
That in practice may be what is already happening as (if my memory serves me right) the last local government pay increase was in May 2006 and it is now going to be at least November 2007 before the next one is implemented.
Anyway David, as you have suggested in earlier postings on this subject, the biggest battle to be fought regarding local government pay might be one of substantial 'regrading' of archaeologists within the system, rather than short term pay increases and getting local authority employers to recognise the principal of 'length of archaeological service' when setting entry grades on the local government scales for new/short-term staff.