1st December 2009, 02:59 PM
I also agree with the Digger's Forum points. Although I note that they want discussion and transparency rather than coming up with specific industry-wide proposals.
I would make the point (which I seem to do a lot) that this only relates to ROs. What about everyone else? There are still lots of people who work for organisations who do not sign up to even the minima mentioned here. You can't look to IfA to enforce anything on those, they're not in it.
The quote says: "Diggers' Forum strongly supports unionisation within commercial archaeology, but at present union representation is limited and fragmentary."
Prospect (in it's former guise of IPMS) has been around and had an archaeology branch since at least the early 1990s (I know because I used to be a member!). That's not that much shorter time than IfA. How come no-one's having a go at them about how bad the situation is? Where are their suggestions and proposals? Perhaps they ought to be looking at our sector and bringing their experience of similar sectors to bear, rather than everyone assuming that IfA (whose membership is also apparently fragmentary - especially within the 'diggers' ranks) should come up with and then enforce (how?) the answer.
I would make the point (which I seem to do a lot) that this only relates to ROs. What about everyone else? There are still lots of people who work for organisations who do not sign up to even the minima mentioned here. You can't look to IfA to enforce anything on those, they're not in it.
The quote says: "Diggers' Forum strongly supports unionisation within commercial archaeology, but at present union representation is limited and fragmentary."
Prospect (in it's former guise of IPMS) has been around and had an archaeology branch since at least the early 1990s (I know because I used to be a member!). That's not that much shorter time than IfA. How come no-one's having a go at them about how bad the situation is? Where are their suggestions and proposals? Perhaps they ought to be looking at our sector and bringing their experience of similar sectors to bear, rather than everyone assuming that IfA (whose membership is also apparently fragmentary - especially within the 'diggers' ranks) should come up with and then enforce (how?) the answer.