IfA - A Chartered Institute

[Jack]

'(e) the institution is normally expected to be of substantial size (5,000 members or more).'

Have a look at The Society for Radiological Protection with 2,185 members (1,533 in UK):
http://www.srp-uk.org/about-us/royal-charter
http://www.srp-uk.org/membership/membership-analysis
I became a member of this society in the 1970s.

Brilliant! Cheers John.

So looks like how you get your chartered status (as an archaeologist in the proposed IfA controlled future) will depend on the rules set down on paper and probably the 'opinion' of the elected committee members. All fine and doody if said members are free of personal agendas, like you and say haven't been lobbied by powerful persons or organisations..................whoops.

Would be fine though if it said in the rules that say, 'a member will be granted chartered status if they have....insert list of: qualifications/ years experience/ completed projects/ publications/ levels of compitence and/or expertise......regardless of the opinion of the committee members!

But then I find it difficult to trust anyone in a position of power......

On the other matter...................if not just a rumor

'......ifa council voted to suspend setting minima from next year'

Is a shocking demonstration of everything that is wrong with the IfA. The council decided to destroy field archaeologists pay and conditions without asking their membership?

No wonder they changed their name from the Institute of Field Archaeologists to the Institute for Archaeologists.

Maybe they should now change their name to the Institute against Field Archaeologists.........

Or am I being to cynical here?

But seriously, getting rid of pay minima so the big companies can undercut and force pay rates down is not the action of an institution that should be allowed to administer chartered status!!

Of course, this may be just a rumour.............?

[kevin wooldridge]

Is a shocking demonstration of everything that is wrong with the IfA. The council decided to destroy field archaeologists pay and conditions without asking their membership? .... Or am I being to cynical here?

Well I don't think you get much more cynical than me, but I can see a glimmer of sense here. There has always been an illogicality in the IFA 'setting' pay minima. It is not a trade union and it has no power of negotiation. I would personally prefer if the Institute kept out of these affairs other than stating as part of the Code that its members should respect the right of other to organise through trade unions etc.

Where does this leave IfA members? Well actually no worse off than before. As far as I am aware there is no major archaeological employer that doesn't recognise trade unions, there are members in all employing organisations. If they want to do something about terms and conditions and pay, now is the time to organise and negotiate. IF archaeologists believe their pay and terms and conditions are being destroyed by their employers, the answer is in their own hands. Stand up and Fightback and don't expect a committee mainly comprised of office managers to do it for you!!

[Wax]

. Stand up and Fightback and don't expect a committee mainly comprised of office managers to do it for you!!

This is does not hook me on the idea of joining the IFA at all

[barkingdigger]

At the risk of stirring, does anyone know of any evidence for the true impact the IFA pay minima have had over the years? Are they held or ignored in the main? Has anyone been hauled up over paying too little? Just want to know if their removal is likely to actually matter, before getting too worked up.

[sadie]

Don't panic! IfA Council did not vote to stop setting minima after this year- there was a small misunderstanding, since corrected. Thanks to DF members for spotting this and alerting us to it. The minima issue hasn't gone away (yet).

And as for their impact/implementation and the rest, that's another story for another thread.

[Unitof1]

if what is wanted is some kind of trade union and control of the trade maybe what archaeologists need is a Guild. As in the Worshipul Company of Field Archaeologists. Heres one that was set up in 2004 http://www.internationalbankers.co.uk/ Now what we need is an application form, any ideas

[Jack]

Don't panic! IfA Council did not vote to stop setting minima after this year- there was a small misunderstanding, since corrected. Thanks to DF members for spotting this and alerting us to it. The minima issue hasn't gone away (yet).

And as for their impact/implementation and the rest, that's another story for another thread.

So what is the story then?

[BAJR]

One also forgets that bajr pay scales are what most people use... So ifa minima are not really that big an issue. If you want the truth of it... I can show you all the adverts that comply. And the companies that do... Forming over 90% of employers.

bajr... Doing what it says on the tin since 1999. I for one would not worry about ifa dropping minima. After all it is not thier job..... Bajr would also dearly like not to bear the responsibility.... But until prospect gets in gear... Then that is what must happen.

Fight on

[Noddy]

I totally agree with you however regarding the membership grades. The less the better. Chartered, associate and student (free, but non voting as at present) would do for me!!

Kevin have you responded to the consultation about this? The consultation proposal lists the same grades as there are at the moment...