Fair pay chain table proposals for archaeology: respond now!

Design: Graphic Happiness

FairPACCT’s Chain Table on Archaeology hereby presents two fair pay proposals and asks for a response from all stakeholders: preferably by Wednesday, November 1, 2023 and no later than Wednesday, November 15. Please use the form below to do so. These are a pilot for a Job House and a Standard Regulation on fringe benefits. These are primarily intended for companies and organizations without a collective bargaining agreement, but they may also provide leads for other work providers.
Feedback by fairPACCT and the chain table based on the responses received will be done by December 1.

Test for a Job House

Many archaeologists work in salaried employment (with the exception of the specialists, who in many cases are self-employed) and the payment to them is often moderate, according to general research. However, specific data are not collected periodically nationwide. The chain table therefore commissioned a new Labor Market Monitor among employed people by Femke Tomas, lecturer/researcher at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She also commissioned Marbles to make an inventory of the archaeological jobs and salaries at five types of workplaces: three large businesses, two small businesses, the municipality, the environmental service and the engineering firm. Based on this there is now from the chain table a proof of a Job House with an overview of the current income per hour. It involves five main categories, each with three types of functions: employee, project leader, (material) specialist, depot manager, consultant. FairPACCT and the chain table are in the process of engaging a recognized job evaluation agency in order to produce an official Job House with descriptions, ratings and grading.

For consultation:

FairPACCT Chain Table, Fair pay proposal 1: ‘Proof of a Job House for Archaeology. September 2023.’

Standard fringe benefit plan

For the purposes of secondary employment conditions, the chain table started by identifying the legal provisions. In addition, many sectors of archaeology can be described as related. For this reason, the Chain Table made a detailed comparison with the provisions of four collective bargaining agreements: Municipalities; Construction and Infrastructure; Green, Land and Infrastructure; Forest and Nature. The chain table also studied the old revoked CLA of an archaeology company that is a privatized part of the central government. On the basis of all this it has produced a Standard Regulation, which contains general recommendations to all companies and organizations without a collective bargaining agreement in this sub-sector as well as considerations for individual assessment per company or organization. The table is still working on a memorandum specifically for self-employed workers. It is also considering a separate guideline for (social) safety.

For consultation:

FairPACCT Chain Table, Fair pay proposal 2: ‘Standard arrangement for secondary terms and conditions of employment in archaeology. September 2023.’

Financial incentives for fair pay necessary

In February 2022, the Council for Culture advocated a collective bargaining agreement for excavation companies and a new professional organization for archaeologists. In her policy response of November 2022, the State Secretary of OCW considers the Council’s CAO advice to be advice to the sector. According to her, the latter also applies to the choice of whether or not to set up a professional organization. Nevertheless, she believes that a well-organized sector has clear added value, not only for the functioning of the labor market. Therefore, she has allocated (start-up) funds for three years to strengthen the sector organization. She further states to encourage social dialogue through fairPACCT. But fairPACCT and the chain table hope for more financial incentives from the state for archaeological work, which is currently not subsidized at all. Just as these have been put in place for fair pay in the publicly subsidized parts of the cultural sector. In addition, the state can set an example in its tenders aimed at a fair price and fair pay.

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Download the entry form here*:

Fill-in form

* Please e-mail the completion form back to fairpacct@platformacct.nl preferably by Nov. 1 and no later than Nov. 15.

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Read on about what preceded:

Brief history

After an exploration, the Council for Culture and the Social and Economic Council released the advisory report “Passion Valued” in 2017. The earning power of workers in the cultural and creative sector lags behind, they noted. The councils called for the development of guidelines for reasonable compensation. Based on this, a Labor Market Agenda appeared in 2017 with three spearheads: structural social dialogue, strengthening earning capacity, improving working conditions. Also, the Fair Practice Code emerged with three principles: fair pay, fair share, fair chain.

Legal provisions without compensation for companies and organizations

The Heritage Act (and predecessors) has many provisions. For example, only companies or (government) organizations with a national certificate may conduct excavations at archaeologically protected monuments and areas. There are also guidelines that ensure that certain operations are reserved only for high-quality actors/archaeologists. In addition, based on the General Administrative Law Act (as of January 1, the Environment Act), concrete investigations and excavations, usually require local environmental permits. However, there are no government funds for the high costs that may be involved in the legal provisions. Even state compensation to municipalities for excessive excavation costs in special cases disappeared entirely in 2012. On top of this, many governments keep the price very low in their own tenders for archaeological investigations, excavations and the like. These market forces ensure that there are almost no profit margins for the businesses and organizations involved, so that, among other things, fair pay for workers is difficult to achieve.

Specific preliminary investigations

With a grant from the Ministry of OCW, Platform ACCT commissioned the preliminary study “Archaeologists, terms of employment and working conditions in the Netherlands” by HTH Research in December 2020. It took place as part of the evaluation of the Heritage Act. Followed in March 2021 by the report ‘Better Terms of Employment and Working Conditions in the Cultural and Creative Sector. A Proposal for Follow-up Steps 2021-2024.’ The recommendations were as follows. Repeat surveys in the form of a Labor Market Monitor, preferably part of the Heritage Monitor. Conversations with vulnerable groups about their labor market position and needs. Put on the agenda, among other things, in the evaluation of the Erfgoedwer the effect of market forces on the labor market position. An overview or benchmark of the terms of employment and working conditions offered at excavation companies. Investigate the feasibility of a collective labor agreement for archaeology (and how it should be implemented). Draw up rate guidelines with minimum or standard rates for self-employed archaeologists. Create support. Security and enforcement to be determined later.

Program fairPACCT and composition Chain Table from 2022 onward

Platfom ACCT’s three-year fairPACCT program has begun as of 2022 with the help of OCW funding to concretize fair pay. The Archaeology Chain Table started in March 2022. It currently consists of ten members: four general workers, two specialists, a representative of a vocational school, two companies and an employment agency. Henk Koster, a.o. director of the Infrastructure Quality Assurance Soil Management Foundation, is independent chairman.

Current Labor Market Monitor for Archaeology

Currently, as recommended in the HTH preliminary study, the Chain Table is presenting a current Labor Market Monitor. It is the report ‘Inventory of Working Conditions in Archaeology. Based on a survey of the profession.’ by Femke Tomas, lecturer/researcher at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. For the sake of completeness, it should be stated in advance that archaeologists have an HBO or WO education.

Work field data
The survey with 416 respondents (a quarter of the estimated population) and five in-depth interviews revealed the following vulnerable groups among the employed:
– Respondents without a CLA. They also earn relatively less than respondents with a CAO and are less satisfied with their advancement opportunities and hours.
– Young archaeologists. They earn relatively less, are (obviously) less likely to have actor status, and are more likely to have temporary contracts.
– Women. They have temporary contracts slightly more often than men and earn relatively less than men. It also appears that women are more likely to drop out or not start work in archaeology.
– People with disabilities. Alumni with disabilities make up a smaller percentage of the labor market in archaeology.

It should be added that the average gross hourly wage of the archaeological field is significantly lower than the average gross hourly wage in the Netherlands until about 45 years of age.

Recommendations to the Chain Table
The respondents have a clear preference for a CLA, provided that the advantages/disadvantages for the various groups are clearly identified and clearly communicated. They advocated taking inspiration from other collective labor agreements, such as the collective labor agreement for construction and infrastructure, the collective labor agreement for green space, soil and infrastructure, and looking at the terms of employment in adjacent fields, such as soil and subsoil, as well as the collective labor agreement for the government.

In a collective bargaining agreement, consider pension accrual, compensation for long travel time and working in harsh conditions. Respondents would also like to see consideration in fringe benefits for a work car, home working allowance, higher mileage allowance, travel time as working time, training, reimbursement for intern/residence, physical therapy, overtime, number of vacation days and senior days.

It was also noted that there seems to be a negative price spiral in the archaeological field within the current market forces. This is related to working conditions and the quality of the archaeological research/product to be delivered.

Suggested:
– To determine what are commercially fair prices, look to adjacent disciplines, such as within earth sciences, environmental health research or the soil sector.
– Agree on a percentage of the construction cost.
– Investigate the possibility of market-correcting agreements.

Finally, the respondents also drew attention to the low wages and the many temporary and 0-hour contracts. Also introduce a benchmark by archaeological businesses, the introduction of rates for self-employed workers and, of course, the collective bargaining agreement, if any. Draw up a job matrix for archaeology.

To be noted:

Learn more

Completion form (You can e-mail the completion form back preferably before November 1 and no later than November 15 to fairpacct@platformacct.nl)

FairPACCT chain table Archaeology (read more under the heading ‘current’ or ‘about the table’)

Future/Employment/Appointments/Revenue