9th March 2009, 11:14 PM
Archaeology companies have their own 'blacklist' and it's much more insidious and subtle. It's the middle-class version of Balfours. A word here, a phone call there and you're buggerd.
That's why there's no real unionization in archaeology here. there's a always a fresh crop of eager post grads to keep the wages down, allowing units like ****** to undercut other units on tenders and underpay their staff consistently, for years.
Having just returned from Ireland and seen the system there and the same, but different, Class and University clannishness and being 'in' the cosy club or outside it, I am immune now to the rage which boils in my breast at the injustice and stupidity of UK and Irish firms in the way they employ people and discard them when no longer required.
But it's always been like this in archaeology. That's not to say it doesn't need to change, but many things are changing now and we'll see what happens to all the heavily technology led and 'business' model type units in the coming year.
There will be a heavy cull of capable, good diggers and supervisors as well, so what will be left will be interesting to see.
Maybe those of us with unfashionable university degrees and years of experience will actually move up the scale a few rungs...who knows.
But the Blacklist. There's always a blacklist and as Billy Bragg said, "if you've got a blacklist, I want to be on it."
That's why there's no real unionization in archaeology here. there's a always a fresh crop of eager post grads to keep the wages down, allowing units like ****** to undercut other units on tenders and underpay their staff consistently, for years.
Having just returned from Ireland and seen the system there and the same, but different, Class and University clannishness and being 'in' the cosy club or outside it, I am immune now to the rage which boils in my breast at the injustice and stupidity of UK and Irish firms in the way they employ people and discard them when no longer required.
But it's always been like this in archaeology. That's not to say it doesn't need to change, but many things are changing now and we'll see what happens to all the heavily technology led and 'business' model type units in the coming year.
There will be a heavy cull of capable, good diggers and supervisors as well, so what will be left will be interesting to see.
Maybe those of us with unfashionable university degrees and years of experience will actually move up the scale a few rungs...who knows.
But the Blacklist. There's always a blacklist and as Billy Bragg said, "if you've got a blacklist, I want to be on it."