IFA response to credit crunch -comments

[BAJR Host]

a lot of us will have to face realities that when it comes to improving our lot (as individuals) work wise in archaeology we have already lost this battle!

Indeed that is true... and a reality we must deal with... the situation is now... the horse has bolted, the door is open...

do we
a) leave the door open?
b) bolt it, make sure it does not happen again?

I would suggest that the IfA produce a feed.. - I will suggest it to them... as the news page changes on an irregular basis...

8/12/2008
5/12/2008
4/12/2008
1/12/2008
21/11/2008
6/11/2008
30/10/2008
16/10/2008
1/10/2008 etc...

It is actually updating more and more... which is good a feed.. would allow even more people to see updates..
it's all about communication... and so the more people that know the better ... and indeed better for the IfA... as people will see what they are doing.

I look forward to the seminar... I hope quickly ... and also that BF will be up and running.. and invited if it is.


"Gie's a Job.."
Prof. 'Dolly' Parton

[monty]

..............definitely a case for bolting ......if we can !! It is promising that the IFA is updating more and more and if this gets more people involved it can only be good for us all...........communication is all important .......

[kevin wooldridge]

quote:Originally posted by 1man1desk

[quote] Perhaps I'm not very imaginative, but I can't really think of anything that the IfA (or any professional body) can do to significantly alleviate the effect of the economic situation, so perhaps it is not sensible to raise expectations.

Well I think that the IFA can be influential here. The only way to alleviate the effect of the economic situation is to get more money into the archaeological system and if that funding isn't going to come from the current funders of archaeology (i.e developers) it needs to come from central government. I think that the IFA can and should make the case that this funding is necessary, in the short term, to preserve the 'industry'.

How this money is used, where it is used and by whom it is used by is a matter for debate (I therefore welcome the idea of the IFA seminar), but one can think of how this has worked before, MSC schemes, STEP schemes, funding to units with backlogs, research funding such as the MARS project, regional research strategies etc, community based archaeological projects, study bursaries, skills shortage retraining schemes etc etc. The primary aim of this should be to keep expertise within the industry and to adjust the training and skills base in anticipation for the future. Such schemes are not going to suit everyone and it is hardly likely to keep every archaeologist employed, but if it helps some, then that has to be a good thing.

I am now off to the airport.....

[flashdigger]

Sorry to be negative but i'm feeling pretty doomed at the moment. 10 years in field archaeology plus 3 years uni but i'm conviced its going to go pear shaped for me early next yeay

[Kathryn Whittington]

quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host

Perhaps an rss feed from the newspage might be good.. then I can add it here.. and those that forget to regularly check the IfA Newspage will see changes. Just a suggestion.

I have discussed having an RSS feed with our website hosts before and it is something I would like to implement if possible. The IfA website will be changing in the coming year and I hope to be able to work it in to our 'wish list' of changes.

We'll be releasing a statement today to members and the broader sector concerning minimum salaries and the seminar, and more information will come out in the next few days, so keep an eye on our website and other news feeds etc.

[chiz]

quote:Originally posted by 1man1desk

and it isn't any harder to visit their website than BAJR, if you are genuinely interested in what they have to say rather than in an excuse to bash them.

This thread was not started as an 'excuse to bash the IFA', it was started as I noticed that the IFA were doing something about the situation, and I thought I'd flag it up so members who don't check the IFA website every day could see they were doing things and comment, and non-members could also see they were acting. I don't think suggesting that the IFA news is emailed to its members is really bashing the IFA. If an RSS feed can be sorted that includes to BAJR/Britarch then so much the better.

quoteerhaps I'm not very imaginative, but I can't really think of anything that the IfA (or any professional body) can do to significantly alleviate the effect of the economic situation, so perhaps it is not sensible to raise expectations.

I agree the IFA has little power, but that's more to do with the size of archaeology than anything else. But as the representative body the IFA can work to ensure that standards are maintained, can encourage member organisations to sub-contract staff between them and co-operate, act as a forum for its members, and all the things Kevin mentioned like encouraging backlog work. I personally think the chance of getting large chunks of govt money to prop up archaeology is unlikely -we aren't a big enough industry. But the IFA need to lobby for what it can, and lobby to maintain effective monitoring in planning.

Yeah I'm unemployed at the moment, I've a bit of freelance work in the new year, but its going to be grim. As it will be for many of us. I don't think the IFA or anyone can do much to save diggers jobs on site as there just isn't enough work for everyone, but that's just usual in archaeology -diggers just aren't valued any more. Units have already gone bust, others are close to the wall, others are shedding staff bigtime. Who knows what the future will bring, but the IFA does have a big role in ensuring that the baby doesn't get thrown out with the bath water in an internecine bloodbath that would end with everyone finished and set us all back 15 years.

I'm waiting to see what their proposals are, and hope that they will include ringfencing the few advances we have made, and implementing the benchmarking. The IFA isn't just bosses, its FAME/SCAUM you really want to watch...

[chiz]

quote:Originally posted by Kathryn Whittington
I have discussed having an RSS feed with our website hosts before and it is something I would like to implement if possible. The IfA website will be changing in the coming year and I hope to be able to work it in to our 'wish list' of changes.

We'll be releasing a statement today to members and the broader sector concerning minimum salaries and the seminar, and more information will come out in the next few days, so keep an eye on our website and other news feeds etc.

thanks Kathryn, I look forward to studying the proposals, good to see such quick reporting of meetings, I'm glad you agree communication is important, especially in such times. I'm sure everyone will be keeping a beady eye on your newspage now!

[chiz]

its up now on the IFA site:
IfA Minimum Salaries Announcement

It is now clear that the UK is entering a period of recession. This is already having a severe impact on the construction sector and the knock-on effect on archaeology is now being felt. IfA recognises that this is a very worrying time for members and registered organisations, as the fear of job losses and even business failure grows.

IfA is committed to working with the rest of the archaeological sector to help members and registered organisations. To this end, IfA continues to promote the ROs by referring enquirers to the list of Registered Organisations and by recommending the use of ROs in publications and in advice to curatorial authorities. IfA has been working hard to address issues around market failure and to make progress on accreditation/barriers to entry to professional practice.

In order to support members, a proposal is being put to IfA Council for a below-inflation increase to membership and RO subscriptions in 2009. Unemployed members can already apply for a 50% rebate on their subscriptions by submitting evidence of unemployed status to the IfA office.

IfA expects members and ROs to work hard to maintain high standards and to ensure that the quality and public benefit of our sector’s output continues to improve, but IfA is determined not to impose any new requirements or costs on members and registered organisations at this difficult time.

In this context, while Council is still committed to a target increase in IfA minimum salaries of 13% above inflation over the next five years as is clearly demanded by the salary benchmarking project, it has decided that above-inflation increases cannot be introduced in 2009. However, the link with the local government pay settlement (which has determined the increase in IfA minimum salaries since their inception in 1996) will be broken from April 2009 and the minimum salary rates will increase in line with inflation (taken from the Consumer Price Index on 1 April 2009) next year1.

IfA recognises that employers and members are facing extraordinarily difficult circumstances this year. Most ROs and many IfA members who employ archaeologists already exceed IfA minimum salary rates by at least 1% and have for years set a good example to the rest of the sector. Council hopes that others will follow this example in 2009 and will consider whether they can aim to exceed the minimum rates by 1% in support of IfA’s aspiration for remuneration which better reflects the qualifications and skills of its members. The impact of the recession will be closely monitored and, if economic conditions allow, above inflation increases to the minimum salaries will be implemented in 2010 and beyond towards the target 13% increase by 2013.

Proposed seminar

In response to the concerns of members and ROs, IfA is proposing to host a seminar to explore how it can support members and ROs through the current economic crisis. Invited speakers will include representatives of the national heritage agencies, SCAUM, Prospect, ALGAO and the Diggers’ Forum. The seminar will be open to all but attendance may be constrained by venue capacity. Further details will be circulated shortly

[BAJR Host]

Agreed bob... and good to hear it Kathryn ... look forward to an rss feed soon. (they are very easy to set up... a matter of minutes)

I am ready to ask the big question... will a 5% rise be accepted? and another... will the BF (when set up) be invited to the seminar?

Thanks for keeping up the news... perhaps bob (or another) can keep an eye on the IfA news page.. and pass on information here?

"Gie's a Job.."
Prof. 'Dolly' Parton

[Dirty Dave Lincoln]

It is sad to hear that some units have gone bust and that others are close to that. In commercial archaeology there are two types of units-those registered with the IFA and those who are not,I wonder what percentage of each will go bust?