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Ah yes Sith, the events happened much as you described. I was one of the tented masses and have to say I rather emjoyed it on the whole. Some amazing piss-ups, led by one of the managers many times. The "strike " that happened around that time took place with the Essex Unit as I recall. A day of downed tools which has obviously become confused with the events at Rectory Farm.
To be fair, I went on to work with Tempvs a few times after that on small excavations and evals and they did a good job. The staff they got were first rate on the whole (apart from me). Rectum Farm was too big a start for a small unit and they bit off more than they could chew. The senior manager at Rectory Farm never worked with Tempvs in the field again. His Basil Fawlty behaviour alienated even the remote academics in the Beaumont St HQ, or so I later heard
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No doubt the cheque thing was just the final straw of a number of issues, as to be fair, out in the real world it is very common for small firms to pay staff by cheque, which of course take time to clear.
Today, Bradford. Tomorrow, well, Bradford probably.
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Some colleagues of mine staged a "sit down and do sod all" until we get paid thingy.At that point, some had`nt been paid for a month plus. I walked off site a week before the strike action cos I was expected to run a site whilst not eating for nearly three weeks. The strike was a complete success. Sadly, after sending the same team off to the Emerald Isle, the unit refused to reimburse the travel costs agreed before departure. This cowboy unit are still working. Obviously, I can`t name the unit involved however, to combat such disreguard for employment rights, I suggest as a profession, we should NETWORK our collective voices. 
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Quote:quote:Originally posted by Alfie
I was just thinking..does anyone have examples of strike action by diggers? I can only remember one case: Elms farm excavation 1991, 120 diggers walked off site.
I worked on the Elms Farm site, (wasn't it in 1994?) and was one of those who walked off that afternoon. As far as I remember, it didn't have much to do with pay or living conditions (which weren't all that bad), but was to do with the atrocious machining policy being followed on the site, whereby much of the upper strat contained within the subsoil was ending up on the back of a dumper.
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Something as clear cut as not paying, or unreasonably delaying payment to, staff, whether it's wages or expenses, should be dealt with at once by a letter, preferably from a solicitor, reminding them of their contractual obligations. The local CAB will help or may even have a duty solicitor to write it for you. It should be made very clear that no dosh = no work. If an RAO they should also be reported at once to the IFA for unprofessional behaviour. I feel that through the unity of the BAJR forum, and the forthcoming conference, a fairer balance of power may result - staff may feel less intimidated. An employer with no staff is, well, not an employer!
There is a work ethic in architecture, it's supposed to be a vocation, people work long extra unpaid hours because it's an art, they love architecture and all that, and in the 90's recession many smnaller firms went under or struggled to pay staff. Being a miserable sod, I always made it clear that I am not a registered charity and worked for recompense. Obviously it was all it bit less aggressive than it seems in cold print, but the point was made.
CK, nice to hear of action on ethical grounds. My hopes for a better balance of power apply equally in this respect to those of employment matters.
Power to the people.......
Today, Bradford. Tomorrow, well, Bradford probably.
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The dirty trick of paying people on a friday with a buisness cheque is quite common in the motor trade, usually by unscrupulous owners who need to get more money in before the cheques have cleared. being a buisness cheque it can take a good week to clear so:
get paid on friday, get the cheque in the bank on monday, monday does'nt count as it has to be a complete working day, so cheque starts clearing on tuesday, allow at least five full working days for buisness cheque, tuesday wednesday thursday friday( weekends are not working days) monday(often have to wait until after the close of buisness)so its the following tuesday before you can draw on your paycheque. It means you could have waited an extra eleven days for your pay after you've actually been paid! And this after working a week in hand too.
This kind of practice is one of the reasons i left the motor trade!!
And I think it stinks, Its a disgusting way to treat your staff and i really hope it does'nt happen in archaeology(although i suspect it does at some units)!!
deep
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I was told that if one visits the DSS (department of stealth and total obscurity) or the jokecentre, one can get hands on a form entitled "unlawful deduction from wages". This little beauty can do wonders.  Oh, on the balance of power- Kudos surely has no place in a modern profession? Staff spending time asserting their right to worship and obedience are not doing their job. Don`t work for them and explain to as many people as possible why not.
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Quote:quote:Originally posted by Sith
I think that may memory must be defective. I did the life sentence at Rectory Farm and don't remember events quite as described by Tim. There was a dispute over pay, but for the most part, it was due to underpayment (relative to advertised rates) and regular late payment (cheques were paid into TR's Bank in Oxford on pay-day, meaning they didn't clear for five days!).
This was eventually resolved during a heated(ish) meeting between site staff and TR management, but I don't remember anyone actually going on strike.
More noteworthy was the short-notice termination of a number of staff contracts for financial reasons (as I remember), and the comical "Lower Orders and Proud  " campaign, sparked by comments made by a senior member of staff who shall remain nameless.
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Sith And Roywhiting know a bit more about Rectory Farm than my tired old memory can (as I said I wasn't technically part of the team only using facilities and equipment for 3 weeks. Didn't one person leave to go to France.
Little Tim
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Yes, but she came back towards the end as I recall. To depart from topic and reminisce it seems many went on to bigger and better things. Top jobs with EH, project management and others went and had nervous breakdowns and divorces. Ho hum. A mixed bunch but definitely a very good crew in comparison with the dross you get coming on sites these days. Where I am we've just advertised for a large site team in advance of a large urban excavation, and being involved in the selection process has been a slightly dispiriting experience. Hardly any experience and dubious commitment if the info on their applications is to be believed
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Quote:quote:Originally posted by roywhiting
being involved in the selection process has been a slightly dispiriting experience. Hardly any experience and dubious commitment if the info on their applications is to be believed
Hardly surprising really!
Today, Bradford. Tomorrow, well, Bradford probably.
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