Archaeologists on the picket line !

In July up to a million public sector workers took strike action for a day against low pay. It was the biggest public sector strike for decades and involved members of the Unison, GMB and T&G unions including archaeologists working for local councils. A curatorial archaeologist tells The Digger why the strike was necessary and what happened on the day.

"I voted for strike action in the Unison ballot. This was because I feel that the
lowest council grades are still too low. I would also like to give Blair a hard time. I
was not taking action for personal reasons of greed, and certainly not so senior
managers can get 6% for crossing the picket lines. " We contacted our union branch for advice and picketed outside our office and the local museum. We did not try to prevent visitors attending the museum. Our senior manager did not try to talk us out of taking strike action. He did, however, come to work. My line manager (a union member) crossed the picket line. Words fail me. The response from the public was mixed - some obvious support and some thought we were trying to better our own position."

The picket line consisted of finds specialists and SMR staff. No union members at the museum crossed the picket line. "The manager of the museum stopped by to wish us well. He had no intention of going to work! "

"I am not sure that a few curatorial archaeologists striking for one day does any good in the long term. We obviously felt obliged to support the others, and will do so again. It is the suspension of essential services that will have most effect. I am willing to keep going until some compromise is reached - not necessarily 6% across the board, but certainly a better deal for the lower grades within the council. I would like to see more support and more unions co-ordinating their strike days. Longer periods of strike action will only have an effect with solidarity, i.e. no bins being
emptied."