27th November 2008, 01:15 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by WindbagIndividual companies need to stay competitive. Government agencies cannot fill the gap. Groups of companies cannot collude. Curators are concerned with the standard of archaeological work undertaken, but have other pressures and local areas of responsibility.
It seems to be that if the current downturn works out is as bad as it appears to be heading, then it will be impossible for a much smaller jobs market to sustain the present number of archaeological contractors. In that sense it is an impossibility for companies to remain competitive. They have to work together or possibly all end up going to the wall.
Can't cut-throat competition be suspended forthwith for the sake of both individuals jobs and archaeology as a profession?
Further, being basically politically unreconstructed (I have a photograph of Stalin on my mantlepiece) I would also disagree with the assumption that government agencies can't fill the gap. If the government can in effect 'nationalise' the majority of the banking industry at the stroke of a pen, I see no reason why central and local government couldn't reassert its ownership of UK archaeology.