18th March 2006, 03:29 PM
I think the point is that those on other professions who work on a contract basis do so through choice, not because there is no alternative. It works fine in other fields, as I say. Archaeology is a construction related industry, and construction is inherently unstable, both as an industry as for individual firms. Certainly archaeology takes it to extremes, largely I suspect because it is literally so under valued (see also my post on another thread about methods of measurment and tendering).
Naturally the agency is paid more than it pays the staff, but its client (the contractor) doesn't have to pay the employment overheads - NI and so on and doesn't carry the risk of employment.
Essentially I suppose what I'm trying to do is raise the archaeological heads over the parapet and look at the outside world - there seems to be a tendency to try to re-invent the wheel.
We owe the dead nothing but the truth.
Naturally the agency is paid more than it pays the staff, but its client (the contractor) doesn't have to pay the employment overheads - NI and so on and doesn't carry the risk of employment.
Essentially I suppose what I'm trying to do is raise the archaeological heads over the parapet and look at the outside world - there seems to be a tendency to try to re-invent the wheel.
We owe the dead nothing but the truth.