Cotswold Job

[Sparky]

It was a comment on the current economic state of affairs rather than criticising the unit or their client. Its good thats there's work!

[the invisible man]

but it is not forced...

But surely there is a wider issue. In principle, (unlikely to happen, granted) more employers could start cranking up what is effectively the basic working week and it more or less becomes "forced" when there is no alternative means to support yourself. Hence the working hours directive. It seems to me that people have fought long and hard for many years to gradually improve conditions (I'm talking all employed people here, not just archaeology) and I'm uneasy at it all being thrown away.

[Jack]

You should clarify that, 'hmmm, pipelines' disapprovingly, or in a comedy Homer-esque tone? :face-huh:

they taste yummy

[kevin wooldridge]

There are many of us who feel that the UK should implement the full EU Working Time Directive (As well as a ton of other EU legislation protecting and enshrining workers rights). On May 6th there is an opportunity to vote for parties who would see the UK fully implement these rights....we all have the power to change things....

PS Neither Gordon Brown nor David Cameron or their prospective parties wish to see EU workers rights fully enshrined in UK law.....

[Dinosaur]

Am afraid the way you make loads of dosh as a digger (short of going off to Saudi or somewhere) is by by chasing the jobs with loads of hours, get the job done, move onto next with loads of hours. Limiting working hours just strings the jobs out and cuts the overall weekly pay (plus some other b***** gets the work on the next one while you're still tied-up on the first....). No wonder most construction guys think archaeologists are a bunch of muppets. Keeps more diggers employed all right, but none earning a decent wage. Wouldn't it be better to have less diggers but earning proper money?

[the invisible man]

[quote=Dinosaur]Am afraid the way you make loads of dosh as a digger (short of going off to Saudi or somewhere) is by by chasing the jobs with loads of hours, get the job done, move onto next with loads of hours. QUOTE]

That's exactly the point.

[Dinosaur]

But surely there is a wider issue. In principle, (unlikely to happen, granted) more employers could start cranking up what is effectively the basic working week and it more or less becomes "forced" when there is no alternative means to support yourself. Hence the working hours directive. It seems to me that people have fought long and hard for many years to gradually improve conditions (I'm talking all employed people here, not just archaeology) and I'm uneasy at it all being thrown away.

For all the talk it hasn't worked in the construction industry so why should it work in commercial field archaeology (which, horror of horrors, is effectively a limb of the construction industry), or indeed agriculture, forestry etc etc? It's seasonal work, you grab as many hours as you can when you can, long hours during the summer, none at all when its p***ing with rain/snowing/dark during the winter. Ever wondered why pipeline jobs seem to turn up around this time every year around about when it's possible to work 7-7 again? 9-5's for office workers I'm afraid

[randy13]

I completely agree Dinosaur.
Yes the overtime is optional but it would be nice to have optional overtime at an actual overtime rate. I don't like the idea that we should be down on our knees praising God that we get to work 12 hr days at normal rate. Most of us are experienced and/or highly educated and this is not the 3rd world! Also, i have luckily never been out of work in winter & while this style of seasonal work may appeal to some i should think it would prove a lot harder in the long run getting any kind of credit or mortgage (lol).
It makes me so angry that even those high up within archaeology aren't taking our profession seriously, how then are we to convince anyone else?!

[randy13]

Oh one more thing Bajr did u ask Cotswold if they wd b charging out at an overtime rate for the extra hrs? Cos u can bet someone somewhere will b pocketing it. Construction workers don't wrk extra hrs at flat rate.

[Geli]

Reasonably speaking everything over the standard day should qualify as overtime. But as noted above no one's forcing you in to it. I worked on a job recently where overtime was described as extra work and paid at standard rate. No one objected until they discovered every other worker on the job appeared to be getting paid overtime. A lot of whingeing was done, but when it came to discussing it with senior staff no one really spoke up, and as was pointed out everybody had signed a contract to the effect of extra work / standard rate. If people really want to change these things then may I recommend joining the Union. With unionisation comes collective bargaining! Worth some thought, that for the cost of a pint a week you could be 26.25 hours better off rather than only 17.5!