10th September 2012, 08:34 PM
This thread is, of course, a symptom of how British archaeology has been set up (since Nov 1990, in the midst of the Thatcher administration, and it's still the only show in town, given the political climate of the UK.) It has brought both good and bad things. I don't want to get into a fruitless debate about what we shd all do: as George Harrison said on The Simpsons, "It's been done."
I do, however, find the IfA's relationship with BAJR (and there is one, however hands-off) is very disingenuous. In my experience, along with grass roots union activism and dialogue, BAJR has been absolutely key to driving up pay and conditions for field staff, beyond what is required for health and safety considerations and client demands. The IfA researches and displays blatantly contradictory analyses between aspiration and reality, but doesn't act on the disparity.
It's important to understand why this is. Here's my suggestion; I might be wrong and misrepresentative. BAJR has effectively cornered the market for diggers looking for work: It's a happy no-nonsense symbiosis between an often disadvantaged group of people and somebody who runs an organisation which actually cares about them. If, as an employer, you don't follow some very simple rules you're not in the club and, whilst you might be able to hire some staff, you'll be at a serious disadvantage. The IfA cannot do this because it is institutionally (and I suspect fiscally) weighted towards the big units. I know personally that BAJR has intervened to improve conditions on individual projects and (this is the best bit) even established advertisers occasionally have David breathing down their necks behind the scenes. Softly softly, catchee monkey!
I've waffled enough: the issue is trust. And I'm afraid the IfA doesn't have it. If it wants to claim to represent the full gamut of archaeologists (especially those in the field) it has to earn that trust. And it's no good claiming (although I have the utmost respect for those people who maintain this point of view) that you have to be part of it to make a difference, because it seems to me that the people at the bottom who really need the help, ain't getting it. Show you care and, like BAJR, you will get support and thrive. Try to be all things to all parties, and you'll just end up like the IfA!
I do, however, find the IfA's relationship with BAJR (and there is one, however hands-off) is very disingenuous. In my experience, along with grass roots union activism and dialogue, BAJR has been absolutely key to driving up pay and conditions for field staff, beyond what is required for health and safety considerations and client demands. The IfA researches and displays blatantly contradictory analyses between aspiration and reality, but doesn't act on the disparity.
It's important to understand why this is. Here's my suggestion; I might be wrong and misrepresentative. BAJR has effectively cornered the market for diggers looking for work: It's a happy no-nonsense symbiosis between an often disadvantaged group of people and somebody who runs an organisation which actually cares about them. If, as an employer, you don't follow some very simple rules you're not in the club and, whilst you might be able to hire some staff, you'll be at a serious disadvantage. The IfA cannot do this because it is institutionally (and I suspect fiscally) weighted towards the big units. I know personally that BAJR has intervened to improve conditions on individual projects and (this is the best bit) even established advertisers occasionally have David breathing down their necks behind the scenes. Softly softly, catchee monkey!
I've waffled enough: the issue is trust. And I'm afraid the IfA doesn't have it. If it wants to claim to represent the full gamut of archaeologists (especially those in the field) it has to earn that trust. And it's no good claiming (although I have the utmost respect for those people who maintain this point of view) that you have to be part of it to make a difference, because it seems to me that the people at the bottom who really need the help, ain't getting it. Show you care and, like BAJR, you will get support and thrive. Try to be all things to all parties, and you'll just end up like the IfA!