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28th March 2010, 10:41 AM
This is indeed the poin.
In a perfect world, you should not have to ask for pay rises, you should not have to ask for training. It should be part of the normal day to day - year on year - process of employment.
The current action on Unionisation is needed in todays archaeology. It can benefit all. There are indeed quite a few companies who treat all staff well - supporting training and ensuring pay and conditions move forward. Others need support and help to do so. Gentle reminders - for want of a better word.
As Misty says, in the real world (beyond Archaeology) generous pay scales and training can be achieved.
Just because one company is OK does not mean that unionisation should be ignored.... the idea is for all to be OK (or better)
:face-thinks:
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I have come across a few Hat Doffers in my time and for a while this may work, but without a proper structure to the profession their careers ( no joke intended) will stagnate just like anyone else. You may if your lucky get the promotion but have you been properly trained and equipped for the role? It's easy for many in such positions to kid themselves on that they are doing a good job and in turn pass on the conceit to the next generation. I've met many archaeologists like this over the years, people who given the title supervisor think they have arrived as archaeologists! I've been working in archaeology for a good while now and I'm not afraid to admit that i don't know everything, but as a wise man who helped train me once said "when you know everything in archaeology it's time to leave". Personally I'm still learning and hope to continue to do so for many years. Indeed I'd like the opportunity to further not only my understanding of archaeology, but also other aspects of the job (many and varied). I could pay for additional training myself and struggle even more financially and hopefully reap some reward for myself in doing so. Alternatively I could be part of the struggle to unionize my profession and not only find benefits for myself in doing so, but also for my colleagues! I choose the latter!
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Damn fine Geili. I can now let people know that recent figures in this morning show that there is now an increase in archaeologists in unions... AND that the support for Unionisation is also increasing.
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Thats really welcome news hopefully the numbers will keep on increasing :face-approve:
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I'm a bit offended really that I'm now an official hat doffer. I've never scraped to a boss and I'm not "grateful" for a job. In my current situation I've got all the training, support and potential career progression that I need. If I did work for a dubious employer, then I probably would join a union. I'm working for an excellent one at the moment, and if things do go wrong, I've got all the legal training I need to defend myself.
Hey, as much as anyone more cash for my job would be appreciated. Union action to increase wages and conditions across the country is in no way a bad thing, and I've no problem with anyone who wants to follow that route, and if this thing gets off the ground, that'd be great. My issue is that my employer already has great working conditions, and is more than happy to raise wages, as long as he won't get undercut by someone the next day. Going on strike is quite simply just unnecessary for me at the moment. If things go donwhill, that may change.
Geli, slightly confused at your post, is this aimed at me? I've never claimed to be an expert at archaeology, and anyone who suggests that they are an expert is a liar. Every day brings a new feature / thing that you've never seen before. Its part of the reason I like the job so much. There's plenty of fields I'm still developing into, at the moment its enviro and geoarchaeology, as these are areas I need to improve. All I'm ever interested in is producing high quality work, which I let stand for itself. My dad always says that if you want to get anywhere in life, you need to be working to be heads above everyone else. To me that means constantly improving my game, and its an approach thats never let me down.
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I I I I I---this is about everybody else Dirty, not just you!!!!.....perhapes you might consider some solidarity for those who may not be in your position, and whetheryou care about how the rest of the community is doing....
(membership dosn't equate to "strike", by the way)
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GnomeKing Wrote:I I I I I---this is about everybody else Dirty, not just you!!!!.....perhapes you might consider some solidarity for those who may not be in your position, and whetheryou care about how the rest of the community is doing....
(membership dosn't equate to "strike", by the way)
Poor old Dirty Boy - first he/she is a hat doffer then selfish and lacking in solidarity. How long before the words 'scab' are being shouted. Personally, I don't much care for Unions, does that also leave me open to similar attack? I would worry that things might start becoming them and us - those who join and those who don't. How long till our personal freedom (which I recall Gnomeking amongst others stressing so strongly on the drugs thread), in this case to join or not join, start being taken away? The potential for this to become bullying or intimidation is one reason I'm not sure about unions.
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I don't know if it has been mentioned but at the EGM at the IFA conference, the IFA Working Party are to 'update members' on the issues of the IFA recommended salaries. Does anyone know if this is to actually include a timetable for the benchmarking increases or just another talk on how there needs to be more talk.
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Here is the rub... Is unionisation about raising pay? well NO not really... it is so much more.
Is it about helping everyone... well yes.
Is Dirty allowed to be happy in his work... yes... does that mean that everyone else must just go and work there in this utopian company... (which would be a first ) impractical.
RedEarth is also allowed to join or not join... to express worry and have an opinion. this is a democratic right. one that other democratic groups could learn from. Opinion is sought, differences allowed. rights are supported (within reason) and consensus agreed.
We are all agreed that skills training, universal equality of rights and conditions, decent PPE, safe working conditions, an end to forced self-employment, reasonable site facilities, drivers pay, subs, taxed/No accommodation are all issues. Now we can sit about going either
a) I'm alright... so d the rest of you...
b) I'm alright, I don't agree with unions for whatever reason, but I will help and support a cause which is valid
c) I will join a union and help to support this cause.
etc....
Just remember that if and when these issues are sorted... and they will.... remember the people who did it, and supported it... and made it happen.
Was it you? of were you sitting about waiting for others to do it for you?
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Interesting that the company Dirty works for can still afford to recruit people (like him) give them unsolicited pay-rises, training etc, and still promote quality work, at a time when most other units have been going bust or laying people off! - surely in these days of belt-tightening it would be more to the point to encourage other businesses and the industry as a whole to emulate their business-plan for the good of all, rather than promoting rather 1970s union-led dissension which tends not to help anyone much? - ask the coal-miners....
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