28th January 2013, 04:35 PM
This just in::
Standard text:
Dear IfA Council,
I am writing to register my protest at the prospect that the IfA may not continue to set minimum recommended salaries.
In 2008 a working party report showed how far archaeologists pay had fallen behind similar professions: IfA minimum salaries were up to 53% lower than some comparable posts.
The minimum recommended salaries act as a safety net for the poorest paid in our industry and help in union negotiations with employers over pay. Getting rid of minimum salaries will be a green light to the most unscrupulous employers to drive pay and conditions through the floor.
In April last year, the IfA stated that it still intended to increase minima by 13% above inflation 'as soon as economic and market conditions allow'. Later in 2012, a second working party recommended that the IfA should continue to set pay minima.
The current crisis in archaeology was not caused by archaeologists being paid too much. Cutting pay and getting rid of the minima is no solution - it will just make things worse as units compete to cut pay, forcing colleagues out of the profession while those who stay are driven further into poverty.
I would urge the IfA to keep setting minimum recommended salaries.
Yours,
YOUR NAME
Send to admin@archaeologists.net, cc’ing prospectcampaign@hotmail.co.uk, by the time of the IfA Council meeting on 30 January.
Quote:Campaign to keep IfA minimum salaries
First, thanks to those many union members and others who have sent letters and emails to the IfA Council urging them to keep minimum recommended salaries. The Council meets on the 30 January (this Wednesday), so make sure you send your message before then. Council members will get to see all the messages – email yours to admin@archaeologists.net (cc’ing prospectcampaign@hotmail.co.uk). You don’t have to be a member of the IfA or of Prospect to send a message.
Secondly, a number of people have asked if there is a standard pro-forma letter that they can use to send to the IfA Council to urge them to keep minimum recommended salaries.
Whilst it is important that people register their own views in their own words as it is these messages that are likely to carry the most weight with the IfA, it is the nature of our industry that many archaeologists who would want to send a message may be too busy to write an email or letter themselves.
Therefore, a standard text that can be modified as required, cut and pasted and sent to the IfA is below.
Best wishes,
Antony Francis, Chair, Archaeologists Branch of Prospect
Standard text:
Dear IfA Council,
I am writing to register my protest at the prospect that the IfA may not continue to set minimum recommended salaries.
In 2008 a working party report showed how far archaeologists pay had fallen behind similar professions: IfA minimum salaries were up to 53% lower than some comparable posts.
The minimum recommended salaries act as a safety net for the poorest paid in our industry and help in union negotiations with employers over pay. Getting rid of minimum salaries will be a green light to the most unscrupulous employers to drive pay and conditions through the floor.
In April last year, the IfA stated that it still intended to increase minima by 13% above inflation 'as soon as economic and market conditions allow'. Later in 2012, a second working party recommended that the IfA should continue to set pay minima.
The current crisis in archaeology was not caused by archaeologists being paid too much. Cutting pay and getting rid of the minima is no solution - it will just make things worse as units compete to cut pay, forcing colleagues out of the profession while those who stay are driven further into poverty.
I would urge the IfA to keep setting minimum recommended salaries.
Yours,
YOUR NAME
Send to admin@archaeologists.net, cc’ing prospectcampaign@hotmail.co.uk, by the time of the IfA Council meeting on 30 January.