Who will stand with me?

[BAJR]

info@bajr.org

it will be at some point next week, once I have heard back from my initial contact. going to take some effort.. BUT.. BUT... this works if we do make an effort.

cheers Ken

[GnomeKing]

yes - even though in the end it was sh*ty to me, i would prefer archaeology to be better for others...

[Unitof1]

tell us what happened

[Drunky]

I got all the info from Trowel Fodder sorry for not posting early, bee up in the hills so no internet

[BAJR]

All those who have contacted me and expressed an interest in helping have been contacted, some are of course unable to make it for various reasons (its called life) but there are more than enough to start the ball rolling. The talks with T&G Unite have been kindly organised by Laurence Platt and hosted in Nottingham. on the 27th February. at 12 noon.. THe talks will be wide ranging but deal with the initial hurdles of membership, recognition, expectations and organisation. As accommodation and subs are so often highlighted, this may be one item that can be taken on right away... once enough people join the union of their choice.

Then Unit of One... then, we can have a special one for you Union of One

[Unitof1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7869873.stm

T& G Unite sorted that one out didnt they?

I wondered if the foreign workers were taxed on the accommodation and the flights to this country?

[BAJR]

Don't be petty Unit :face-stir:

[Unitof1]

its not petty -how was it economical for a eu euro compamy to pay travel and subsitance and still undercut a local skilled eu work-force. I dont think that that the inland revenue correctly apprised the benifits in kind that were supplied by the company to the black legs.

you might like to put that toT& G Unite next time you are in bed with them

[grindlecat]

piffle, tosh and balderdash...it'll never happen, and here's why....
1. the reason for the miserable, impoverished, unappreciated existence of field archaeologists is due to the utter ineffectuality and uselessness of the IFA.
Its obsession with 'status' and peer-group back-slappery, within the proffesion has eclipsed the important issues of pay and conditions.
Its membership and governing body are made up of academics and people connected with large, private limited units...i know, no names, but we all know who we're dealing with here...
2. The govts' advisor on heritage and such matters is useless and is mired in private business and developer led lobbiests.
3. Units have NO INTEREST in better conditions or pay for their 'temporary' field staff. These workers create the wealth that pays for permanant positions within these units and of course, it is in the interest of units to pay 'us' as little as possible and thus maximise their own profits, which are made in post-ex and in charging for the glossily produced reports.
4. Units DO NOT WANT to employ people with years of experience...why? because they are generally better informed and more skilled tthan the permanant staff, certainly know more than ones who have recently left uni, walked into supervisor/PO jobs with these few units [especially with spurious MAs in site techniques] which recruit large numbers of workers for big projects. Also, more experienced workers tend to be more aware of their rights and units dont want people 'who rock the boat', do they.
5. There is a top down, too many chiefs, structure in many units which makes their ability to compete and pay reasonably very difficult as they are supporting a lot of fatuous and product-less jobs 'in-house'. The allowance of charity status to some units encourages the bad business practise of many units, especially the charity registered ones.
They are not real charities, people at the top earn very well and enjoy very comfy conditions. This should be acknowledged and these units forced to become proper businesses.
6. Units are obsessed with new technology and shiny bits of fancy kit, rather than in training basics. This is why many reports from projects are frankly, nonsense, and the veracity or reliability of a particuular report at a particular site will largely depend on the individual on the ground at the time, usually a lowly supervisor. This contribution will never be acknowledged in the final report.
7. Units cover mistakes in management and poor work practise and training by 'letting people go', and effectively shifting responsibility onto the temporary staff.
8. UK archaeology units are run by people with NO experience in bidding for commercial contracts or in good management practises.

Ten years ago, the sub levels in the UK were higher than they are now, FGS! Unionization will not make any difference, because of the fractured way archaeology in the UK is managed. Private units, charity status ones, together with council and authority units and the various university efforts all makle unified action virtually impossible and workers who do get a name for action will son find themselves looking for other employment outside the profession.
During the 'boom' years, we, as a profession, had developers over a barral, as far as PG16 was concerned and if the IFA had any backbone then, they would have doubled wages overnight and stood their ground until the developers paid up, and they would have.
Now, with the economic situation as it is, there will be no public support for archaeology action and we have lost our chance.
To be honest, after ten years plus in the trade, i do question the use and point of archaeology at all. It is merely providing data for the self serving opionating academics who feed on our work, as locusts on wheat, and after which, we are cast out, as chaff....
As for this site! pah!

[BAJR Host]

Well thats us told...

ANyone else you would like to blame?

So its the IfA s fault, the Units, the unions, the academics, archaeology in general... oh and BAJR is a waste of time.

Well.. on the bright side... at least you can have your say... and be heard.

I can't agree with your views, but you are entitled to them..