27th August 2004, 10:37 AM
I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by 'Should curators rate units and units rating curators' and what this might have to do with pay, conditions and career structure.
Anyway, some comments:
I think that it is reasonable that BAJR sets grades, though I think currently they are less relevant as market forces are increasing pay (except for the lowest grades), though pay is still stupidly low.
The answer to the question of 'pay or permanent work' is, I think for most 'diggers' both.
Solving the problem of low pay, poor conditions etc despite on the surface seeming quite straightforward (lets all get together and agree to raise pay), is actually very complicated.
You get all those acronyms together, what are they going to do apart from agreeing that pay and conditions should be better? who are they going to present a 'joint front' to?
I think that Prospect should be doing more than having tea with the IFA, they should be concentrating on increasing their membership and recognition, so that it is truly representative of the grass roots of the profession, and that it might have some real bargaining power.
Prospect is key to solving these problems.