Jobs jobs jobs !!

[Wax]

How do you put the charge rate up across the board when there are so many different types of companies tendering for the work (and those who are willing to cut their costs to the bone to keep trading or remove the opposition). I suppose if they all got together and agreed to do it that would be seen as illegal price fixing. As someone who has commissioned work I have gone for track record and ability to produce the end product rather than price.

[RedEarth]

Average day rate paid to digger ?70...............................average cost to client per digger per day ?300..........and before I get accused of making this up again ..........I saw two recent tenders with this rate plus VAT.and both were won .............says it all

Can I come and work where you are - average cost to client per digger per day ?300! Blimey. No wonder I thought you had know idea what you were talking about. With that sort of mark-up I take it all back. What did that ?300 include though? Travel? Accommodation? H&S equipment, because if it did I take it all back.

[RedEarth]

............................not to mention the 'charitable trust 'who made a million clear profit six years ago................

I should have put charity in speech marks - my apologies.

[monty]

Can I come and work where you are - average cost to client per digger per day ?300! Blimey. No wonder I thought you had know idea what you were talking about. With that sort of mark-up I take it all back. What did that ?300 include though? Travel? Accommodation? H&S equipment, because if it did I take it all back.

This has been the going rate for years... plus VAT ........sometimes includes travel, accom etc........................but that is a rarity !!.............. H and S equipment, plant. welfare etc usually supplied by client/sub contractor i.e builder, utility company etc.

[Wax]

I would love to see all the commercial units put their charges up but how is that going to happen when there are "non commercial" ie non profit making units out there? I am sure many will argue that it is OK for non profit making set ups to compete with those who need to make a living but it is hardly fair competition is it? Yes I know it seems to work in other sectors but for some reason archaeology seems to be suffering from a very low wages and little respect and we do have to ask the question is this because it is perceived as a "hobby" something people are willing to pay to do rather than be paid to do? If I had a nice crisp five pound note for every time I have been aske are you a student or volunteer I could have retired by now.

[Potboiler]

<snip>...... If I had a nice crisp five pound note for every time I have been aske are you a student or volunteer I could have retired by now.

That part of your post made me laugh Wax.


The amount of times I have been asked..."do you get paid for doing this...?"


The job is just not taken seriously by anyone who doesn't understand it


(Perhaps, one day, once we have destroyed most of the UK's ancient past, someone might comment..."Ohh, perhaps our history was important after all.)

I doubt it though.




Still, there will be a new breed of 'land-fill' archaeologists working by then. I expect they will be very busy.

[Wax]

Ah land fill archaeology I often dream of that day though I would not touch a land fill site that was in operation before current legislation re disposal of hazardous substances. There are some sites in the North West that are the result of disposal of chemicals used to develope chemical weapons (or so the roumor goes).

I can see a day when land fill is excavated not so much for the archaeology as the reclamation of materials

[monty]

I would love to see all the commercial units put their charges up but how is that going to happen when there are "non commercial" ie non profit making units out there? I am sure many will argue that it is OK for non profit making set ups to compete with those who need to make a living but it is hardly fair competition is it? Yes I know it seems to work in other sectors but for some reason archaeology seems to be suffering from a very low wages and little respect and we do have to ask the question is this because it is perceived as a "hobby" something people are willing to pay to do rather than be paid to do? If I had a nice crisp five pound note for every time I have been aske are you a student or volunteer I could have retired by now.

Non profit making commercial organisations....can't think of any ???

[Oxbeast]

Charities do not make profits, as they are administered by trustees, rather than owned by shareholders. They do, however, retain operational surpluses, which have to be reinvested in the business (as far as I understand it).

[kevin wooldridge]

Non profit making commercial organisations....can't think of any ???

Well try the Co-operative movement, CWS, Co-operative Bank, Co-op supermarkets etc etc....