16th April 2007, 02:02 PM
This still has no firm connection with wages. If curators were able to ferociously monitor fieldwork projects and always have solid backup from planning enforcement we would no doubt see a general improvement in quality of work which would discourage unrealistic tenders - leading to rising costs. But bad payers are still bad payers and they will still win contracts on the basis of being the cheapest. Perhaps this could even hold pay down in some organisations as they seek to make savings to win contracts. Not a nice idea but it could happen. While it is true that better resourced curators could improve standards, our influence over pay is indirect and is being exaggerated here. Rising standards and rising tender costs do not necessarily equal rising pay. This is not to denigrate IFA standards which are extremely important. As has already been stated the RAO and BAJR pay levels are the way forward, alongside the work of the unions. Our influence as curators on pay levels of external private companies is minimal.