9th November 2009, 10:07 PM
Competitive tender is basically killing archaeology in this country!!! Not only wages are threatened here. Many firms are now declining to provided accommodation, which has traditionally been one of the perks working the circuit!! Many people have to keep on flats, rooms or houses which they hardly see and having to pay for accommodation on top, on away jobs would for many be impossible to sustain.
Lets not mince words here those in ownership and management are doing ok but we the general work force get paid and treated like crap. On a major road scheme I'm working on we are the lowest paid workers. Even the guys who go around cleaning the cabins get more than "self employed" archaeologists! The principle contractor pays their staff ?210 a week subsistence - is there a similar amount being paid to the archaeological contractor to provide accommodation for us and if so why don't we see any of it?!!
Stupidity, greed and competitive tender will be the death of any meaningful commercial archaeology.
!
Lets not mince words here those in ownership and management are doing ok but we the general work force get paid and treated like crap. On a major road scheme I'm working on we are the lowest paid workers. Even the guys who go around cleaning the cabins get more than "self employed" archaeologists! The principle contractor pays their staff ?210 a week subsistence - is there a similar amount being paid to the archaeological contractor to provide accommodation for us and if so why don't we see any of it?!!
Stupidity, greed and competitive tender will be the death of any meaningful commercial archaeology.
!