Letter Bombs
LETTER BOMBS
In Digger 37 a reader complained about 'endless whingeing.'
Here are some of your responses:
WE'RE BEING SCREWED
I read, with a sense of incredulity,
the sentiments expressed in the letter. I suppose the
person who wrote this expects people to suffer crap
pay and conditions just because the job happens to be
interesting. This is the attitude that some archaeology
firms rely upon in order to justify their unprofessional
treatment of fellow archaeologists. After all, why bother
to treat people with common decency when every year
you have a fresh intake of eager young graduates who
are desperate to get their foot on the first rung of
a career and are willing to put up with anything. They
hope that as their career advances (irony intended),
things will improve for them. Unfortunately, as many
of us who live in the real world know, what actually
happens is that they eventually become disillusioned,
leave archaeology for a 'real job' and their places
in the ranks are taken up by the aforementioned new
intake. I just wish that everyone involved in the profession
would own up to the unpalatable truth; the majority
of us who are on the circuit are being screwed by our
fellow archaeologists. Our pay and conditions are pathetic
because the prime motivation of these people is not
a love of archaeology or a commitment to carrying out
the job professionally; it is ensuring that they secure
their own semi-permanent contracts and careers. That’s
why tenders are priced so low, so they ensure a continuity
of work (for themselves) and that’s why our pay is so
poor.
- Ken Denham
I'LL CARRY ON WHINGEING
So your correspondent doesn't like the whingeing.
Ahh, bless. Well, there's a lot to whinge about in archaeology
- bad practice, sh*t pay, poor working conditions, snobbery,
elitism and downright corruption.
We could have some cartoons in the newsletter and
yes, I like the 'artifact of the month' idea. What would
you suggest?
How about the director’s head on a stick, or a photo
of a Unit building going up in smoke - I’d like that.
(BAJR) (1)
Having spent 4 years at college, getting skint, now
owing for my course and still taking home less than
UKP300 a week, I think I’ve got every right to whinge.
As for middle class sh*ts who stroll through their degrees,
amble through their MA's and then swan into supervisor
jobs just because units are terrified of employing people
who may have 20 years experience (better than most directors,
in my opinion), they too make me want to whinge.
Did I mention sexism, racism (how many black, Asian
or other ethnic groups do you see working on digs, let
alone in post-ex or office jobs?), I get a little tired
of being told I've a chip on my shoulder. There is no
investigation at any meaningful level of crap units,
nor is there any real discussion of the real issues
underlying the decline of development archaeology, which
is becoming an adjunct to the planning process and is
being subsumed by the glow of technology and 'market
forces'. That's why the Bath unit is closing down -
underbid by bigger units.
I see no hope in UK archaeology - pay will continue
to drop in real terms, conditions haven’t got better
in the time I've been working and the big units continue
to drive down wages and standards. So, I'll carry on
whingeing, if that's all right with you.
1) a word has
been changed in this letter to ensure no defamation
can be infered, and in addition it should be pointed
out that I cannot agree with any violent and inciting
statement. I am sure that this was meant in a 'humour'
vein, but after a complaint it was felt suitable to
add this explanation. - IMHO this devalues the rest
of the letter which is more than valid! - Carry on Whinging...
but think of what needs to be done as well - POSITIVE
ACTION (BAJR)
November
2005
