26th April 2007, 02:13 PM
Iâd like to qualify this with a statement that I am slightly playing devilâs advocate and do not pretend to have knowledge of the intricacies of senior archaeological management. However I would be very interested to hear how my perspective should be amended.
I think it is an indictment on professional archaeology that it was not an archaeologist who initiated the petition on 10 Downing Streetâs website â but when I last check 526 of us have shown some solidarity (despite the wording!)
Many jobs are badly paid and their practitioners work in worse conditions than archaeologists. What makes the plight of archaeologists any worse than other graduate professions?
Taking salary as a case in point and using figures from Reading University website (http://www.careers.reading.ac.uk/graduat...trends.asp) the median salary in 2006 for a new graduate was £21,000 (the range was between £14,000 and £37,000). Using BAJR 07/08 figures that puts a minimum traineeâs salary 36% below the median.
So, we are comparable despite being below the lowest starting salary. What is striking is that to reach the median starting salary of £21,000 you need to reach BAJR grade 5/6. Which translates to many, many years.
I believe the vicious circle is in funding for archaeology. The biggest problem I see is that developers will not pay for archaeology. Price fixing is illegal and units under-cut each other, sabotaging our own profession.
I would suggest that with proposed changes in the planning law and a heritage white paper we should be suggesting amendments to this legislation.
I consider that there should be a government responsibility for our heritage and I am sure I am not alone in the occasional feeling that we, as a group, sometimes are the only ones who care about preserving this heritage for posterity and the nation.
Hope the grammarâs ok?
I think it is an indictment on professional archaeology that it was not an archaeologist who initiated the petition on 10 Downing Streetâs website â but when I last check 526 of us have shown some solidarity (despite the wording!)
Many jobs are badly paid and their practitioners work in worse conditions than archaeologists. What makes the plight of archaeologists any worse than other graduate professions?
Taking salary as a case in point and using figures from Reading University website (http://www.careers.reading.ac.uk/graduat...trends.asp) the median salary in 2006 for a new graduate was £21,000 (the range was between £14,000 and £37,000). Using BAJR 07/08 figures that puts a minimum traineeâs salary 36% below the median.
So, we are comparable despite being below the lowest starting salary. What is striking is that to reach the median starting salary of £21,000 you need to reach BAJR grade 5/6. Which translates to many, many years.
I believe the vicious circle is in funding for archaeology. The biggest problem I see is that developers will not pay for archaeology. Price fixing is illegal and units under-cut each other, sabotaging our own profession.
I would suggest that with proposed changes in the planning law and a heritage white paper we should be suggesting amendments to this legislation.
I consider that there should be a government responsibility for our heritage and I am sure I am not alone in the occasional feeling that we, as a group, sometimes are the only ones who care about preserving this heritage for posterity and the nation.
Hope the grammarâs ok?