BAJR payscales 08/09 consultation

[Sparky]

Passover and Hanukkah?

[Oxbeast]

Thats an odd position for the IFA.

It means that if you're in a part of the UK that has more bank holidays (Scotland (9), Northern Ireland (11), you just get more bank holidays taken out of your total allowance. I'm assuming that it is 28 days holiday for the whole of the UK.

[drpeterwardle]

Sparky Said

"Passover and Hanukkah?"

Yesterday was of course Clean Monday so it really should be a day off for all archaeologists.

I should point out that Davids document is a consultation documents and is not therefore what will be implemented. Every employer has to give 24 x number of hours normally worked per week as holiday.

This was introduced in October and how much leave you actually gets is a function of the company leave year. People really should be free to take holiday when it suits them and their employer. In these multi-cultural days people should not be forced take holidays on Christian Festivals.

Peter

[Sparky]

And its going to change to 5.6 weeks / year when 5 days worked in a normal working week as of 1st April 2009! Happy Hanukka!!!

[BAJR Host]

Have talked to IFA... the person I talked to was unaware this had happened.. which of course does not mean that the IFa (in general) did not know...

They are going to check out what the position is... and will get back, but admitted it could be some time..



"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[drpeterwardle]

Not sure what there is to clarify with the IFA.

On 14/9/2007
http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/ne...toryid=206

the IFA post details of the changes to the stat holiday requirement on their web site

The web posting after the law changed, on 20/11/2007 clearly states: "20 days annual leave excluding statutory holidays".

I seem to remember raising this last year. (See
http://www.bajr.org/BAJRForum/topic.asp?...hichpage=1)

Therefore I would suggest that in fact what the IFA words mean is 20 days in addition to the 24 days employees are entitled to by law ie statutory holiday means holidays required by statue. So how many people are getting 9 weeks holiday a year?

Last years award equated to a 20% rise in real terms. The imposition of an extra 4 days leave this year and four days next year means there will be in effect a 24% in under two years. People should not forget just how much employers costs have been pushed in the last 2 years.

Precision in meaning is vital in contract law.

It is bad enough having this unilateral pay bargaining it is even worse when things like this happen.

I would also point out we are going from a boom in construction to a period of retraction and construction companies are asking sub contractors to reduce their invoices by 5%.

Peter

[BAJR Host]

To sum up the BAJR position.. (and remember this is a position, not a demand)

Basic :

2.5% wage increase from the base levels for each Grade (more can be paid if wanted)
24 days holiday ( support for the bank holidays etc as extra rather than included)
SSP as standard (support for Sickness Scheme after qualifying period - made clear in contract)
Pension (I leave this to the employer.. but agree with pension rights after suitable qualifying period - made clear in contract)

Back pay : must be made clear in advert whether backpay will be paid even if no longer with company.
Contracts : must be provided
Accomodation, transport and away from home allouances (made clear prior to comencement of work - with no deductions from pay unless agreed)
Overtime : overtime payments should be clearly expressed prior to commencement of work - (time and a half and double time - made clear when each of these will be available)

Not that bad?? Not too earth shattering I hope folks... and this is all meant to be discussed, honed and a consensus reached.


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[drpeterwardle]

OK-

All things that are a legal requirement agreed
All things which seek to clarify contracts and issue of contracts - agreed

ie the basic legal requirement - this is 2008 and this in fact should be unneccessary.

Back pay. No must be paid in any event. Nothing more nothing less than what the job was advertised at.

Peter

[BAJR Host]

Back pay. No must be paid in any event. Nothing more nothing less than what the job was advertised at.


agreed! But I have to make it clear after last year's loophole!


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[Noddy]

quote:Originally posted by drpeterwardle


It is bad enough having this unilateral pay bargaining

You should just be glad that its being run by the nice people at BAJR and the IFA and that the unions aren't involved.

You have to remember that your employees costs have also gone up astronomicly in the last few years (Retail price index of 4.8% last year, house prices, petrol anyone?). A average graduate will come out of university today with debts of 12-14K. If that graduate has no experience they will be forced to start on a trainee wage (G1 BAJR minimum of c.13.4K). That means a typical graduate can have more debt than their starting yearly salary and they haven't even got a house yet! While it is true they don't have to pay it back until they start earning 15K, they pay interest from the moment the loan is issued. For 2007/2008 that was 4.8% which equals 576 pounds per year (on a 12k loan) on on top of the loan. A couple of years working as a site assistant getting that all important experience and your debt has gone up by another grand.

Also, compare the wages in archaeology to a predicted median average graduate wage of 24K for 2008. While I understand your worries about employers costs being pushed to far to quickly the current levels of pay are not sustainable in the current climate and will have to go up. It is in the interests of everyone that this happens, and this also includes clients and developers who are going to be left with sites but no-one to clear them if levels of pay do not increase. Last years shortage of staff will become the norm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4790583.stm - from 2006 I couldn't find anything more recent.

http://www.slc.co.uk/statistics/previous...rates.html

http://www.hecsu.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home...bf5e147144

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7218805.stm

Sorry to go off topic!