trowelfodder
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24th August 2005, 08:46 PM
Out of interest was just wondering what people out there felt was a reasonable level of responsability to undertake on a diggers wage - i.e how do you raise the issue of solo watching briefs, training new staff, being left to run sites when senior staff in meetings etc not actually beig fair when there is no move made to appropriatly for the extra work and ****e we have to take!
Kind of a half rant half question but am at the moment getting really anoyed with the expectation that diggers do this on a regular basis in the vain hope of a promotion that never appears!
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24th August 2005, 10:25 PM
Most of your examples are the stock in trade of supervisors, but most diggers with the skills do them all quite regularly too. This is acceptable in the short term, but in the long term your employer is clearly taking the piss and you should tackle the issue or move on. If you are taking this responsibility then you are clearly valuable to your employer. You probably have a lot of bargaining power, but witholding your skills because you feel you are not being properly remunerated is probably not the way forward. Also, if you are doing these things already you are probably not working for a top heavy company which I reckon is the biggest limit to advancement for digging staff.
One of the things I love about archaeology is the communal effort that it can be with the best Units. By this I mean people alternating roles and gaining a similar set of skills until everyone can do most jobs. I've supervised vastly more experienced staff and likewise been supervised by less experienced staff. The level of responsibility changes from project to project. As a sometime project officer, sometime digger I like this balance the most. I've realized that getting hung up on my position in a heirarchy is a very sure route to dissatisfaction. Yeah, taking more responsibilty is initially more stressful, and may seem to warrant much more money, but supervisors don't actually make much more (?10 a week usually). The real value to the individual is the whole new interesting dimension it adds to the archaeological process.
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24th August 2005, 10:56 PM
Yes I have to agree with the Merc here! All too often it is left to the other diggers to show new people the way things work, and I can't help but think that this is the way it should be.
I also agree that some employers do take advantage of peoples general good nature and let it carry on not realiseing that these well trained "diggers" could do with a little recognition from time to time.
I often work with a superviser who is reknowned for "not getting stuck in at backfill time" but he does eventually and always says thanks and well done and stuff, makes you feel a lot better about sweating yer knackers off to finish the job!!
deep
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27th August 2005, 01:58 AM
Bit of an, "I am Spartacus", moment here as I would appear to be the supervisor in question. I'm not entirely sure about the renowned bit but as for not "getting stuck in", I've only got one thing to say to you, Deep, me old partner in crime - "Road trip".
"I want to share something with you - the three sentences that will get you through life. Number 1, 'Cover for me.'
Number 2, 'Oh, good idea, boss.' Number 3, 'It was like that when I got here.' "
Homer J Simpson
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27th August 2005, 11:21 AM
Road trips are best on a Tuesday(Abergavenny market)
1 I always cover for you
2 I like your ideas(sometimes)
3 It definetly wasn't like that when we got there!
deep
