23rd April 2010, 05:42 AM
Dinosaur Wrote:I think those who've contributed (including myself) to the yellow bar which is currently in the lead don't actually disagree with that! Just the 'could do better' that needs addressing....
Addressing 'could do better'....
At the end of the day IfA is only as good or as active as it's constituent parts, which as IfA does not exist independently of the UK archaeological community, means that it will be as good or as active as UK archaeologists want it to be.....Similarly a trade union representing UK archaeologists can only function if its members i.e UK archaeologists are willing to put some time and effort in to making it work.
If every UK archaeologist interested in improving standards, pay and conditions, career struture were to donate one free hour a week to the activities of their trade union and/or professional body imagine how much better things could be. And when you think about it a hour a week could be the hour that another thread described as spent 'sitting around your dig accommodation in the evening getting bored....' or a hour less smoking the old waccy baccy .... or a hours less underpaid overtime ......or a hour less spent on the Play Station....a hour less reading the Daily Mail cover to bleeding cover....or a hour on BAJR forums...and the hours would add up. (1000 archaeologists freely giving up one hour a week is equal to 30 full-time posts...)
My attitude, albeit from a dyed in the wool, olden days socialist, who wasn't fooled by Thatcher's 'brave new world' or Blair's tuppeny happeny ragbag of political opportunists and is having nothing to do with this Nick Clegg 'look pretty and the jobs almost done' school of political thought, is 'if you are unwilling to put in the effort, you really don't have the right to complain'.
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...