BAJR union...

[chiz]

Kevin, that could be a very good idea and could massively increase the mandate of DF and therefore the site voice within the IFA which can only be a good thing. The DF already talk with Prospect and indeed SCAUM/FAME. The £5 sub is to cover travel and other costs, if membership increased too much this might have to go up? IFA may have something to say about it as well, but if they truly want to represent archaeologists, then its hard to object...

I still think £5 a year is not too much to ask.

IFA website still seems to be down, so can't post the subs for diggers -anyone know theirs for PIFA?

[chiz]

the IfA must have got into work and turned their server plug on...from their website:

All corporate members (PIfA, AIfA, MIfA), according to annual income:
Payment by Direct Debit
*£5,000 - £10,000 £37.00
£10,001 - £14,197 £62.00
£14,198 - £16,536 £92.00
£16,537 - £20,000 £126.00
£20,001 - £28,000 £163.00
More than £28,001 £191.00
*members earning less than £5,000 can claim a 50% rebate on their subscription fees by sending proof of earnings to the IFA office along with their remittance advice.

so by my reckoning, the average digger outside London on a G2/3 grade will pay £92 a year, or £1.77 a week.

[kevin wooldridge]

IFA subscriptions are based on income and are the same whatever grade of membership you hold. For 2008-09 the direct debit rates are:

less than £5000 pa: £18.50
£5000-£10000 pa: £37.00
£5000-£14197 pa: £62.00
£14198-£16536 pa: £92.00
£16537-£20000 pa: £126.00
£20001-£28000 pa: £163.00
£28001+ pa: £192.00

Personally I think the rates for archaeologists who earn below the IFA minimum wage should be lower and the rates for those above £20000 higher, but that aint my decision and turkeys don't normally vote for Christmas.....

Prospect rates are

below £11175 pa (or unemployed): £1.05 per month (£12.60pa)
£11176-£15960 pa: £5.95 per month (£71.40pa)
£15961-£19685 pa: £8.20 per month (£98.40pa)
£19686-£24470 pa: £10.45 per month (£125.40pa)
£24471-£32980 pa: £13.20 per month (£158.40pa)
£32981+ pa: £15.30 per month (£183.60pa)


Membership of both organisations at average 'diggers wage' rates will cost £131.40 per year or slightly over £2.50 per week.

(And of course the usual sales tactic here is to say, that is equal to the price of 1 pint of beer or 1 Starbucks coffee or less than the price of the Daily Mail for a week, less than the price of a Big Mac, but slightly more than a Ryanair return flight from Glasgow to Bremen etc etc)

[Oxbeast]

Do you have to be a Digger to join the Diggers forum?

[kevin wooldridge]

Sorry to have overposted you Bob with the IFA rates.

I would like to say that there is a slight flaw in the IFA logic regarding subscriptions (also reflected in Bob's calculation). The rates that are shown seem to assume that archaeologists are able to work for 12 months of the year. We who work on the crcuit know that is rarely the case, and over the coming year seems to be even less likely.

So although archaeologists might earn the IFA minimum when they work, if that work is only for 6 or 7 months of the year, their overall income for the year is much less than the minimum, even adding in benefit payments. I suspect that the majority of 'digger' grade archaeologists therefore would fall into the £62 p.a category rather than the £92 p.a

[chiz]

define 'Digger'!!

not sure if there is a clear cut-off, but its meant to be site based staff, but also includes staff who do do post-excavation work so supervisors/Project Officers (by some unit's definitions, maybe not by others).

Think full-time desk based managers may not be allowed

[kevin wooldridge]

quote:Originally posted by Oxbeast

Do you have to be a Digger to join the Diggers forum?

No.

Nothing in it's constitution that defines members, other than an interest in the ideals it promotes.

[chiz]

quote:Originally posted by kevin wooldridge
I would like to say that there is a slight flaw in the IFA logic regarding subscriptions (also reflected in Bob's calculation). The rates that are shown seem to assume that archaeologists are able to work for 12 months of the year. We who work on the crcuit know that is rarely the case, and over the coming year seems to be even less likely.

So although archaeologists might earn the IFA minimum when they work, if that work is only for 6 or 7 months of the year, their overall income for the year is much less than the minimum, even adding in benefit payments. I suspect that the majority of 'digger' grade archaeologists therefore would fall into the £62 p.a category rather than the £92 p.a

yeah, IFA subs is for income, not salary, but when I joined it was based on previous years wage which makes a bit of a nightmare if you move up and down wage scales/in and out of work. Prospect will move your subs up and down, doubt this is so easy with IFA

[monty]

in reply to Bob, never have i said that david could or would replace a union or professional organisation nor that any new 'union' would be subs free, what i am rooting for is the plight of the underpaid archaeologist ! and a recognised voice that actually carries some clout. IFA subs are very expensive for in my opinion very little in return. Wages have increased over thelast few year but this has been immediately offset by the massive hike in the cost of living. ...as for 'one less pint' i can only assume that Bob is earning plenty to be able to afford the luxury of drinking in public houses !!!

[chiz]

quote:...as for 'one less pint' i can only assume that Bob is earning plenty to be able to afford the luxury of drinking in public houses !!!

gentleman's club, old boy, gentleman's club. Its where all us London diggers retire for our port and cigars after a hard days graft earning millions