Frequently Asked Questions
“My employer has an employee forum, isn’t that the same as a union?”
Quite the opposite. Employee forums have traditionally been a way of employer’s fooling employees into thinking that they don’t need to be in a union. An employee forum cannot legally represent you against your employer, nor can they negotiate legally binding agreements in the Labour Court, such as acquiring a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO), or a pay increase.
“I’m scared”
Ask yourself why are you scared and by what or who? One of the basic human rights is to live without fear. Are you afraid of wanting better pay and conditions? Afraid of standing up for yourself and your co-workers? Afraid of speaking out when you see injustice in work? Afraid of belonging to a union which represents its members best interests? You don’t have to be afraid and anyone or anything that makes you feel that fear is definitely not your friend.
“My employer doesn’t approve of the union”
Many great companies approve of the union. That’s their choice, but look at the evidence, all of the better paying employers in Irish Commercial Archaeology actually support the union and our work.
“I’ll be blacklisted or singled out”
Not true, at the moment there is simply too much work for any company to start blacklisting employees. Plus, it is illegal for any employer to dismiss you for being a union member!
“HR are there to look after our rights”
Ask yourself, who pays HR? That’s all you need to know in order to decide who they really work for and in whose interest.
“Why should I join the union?”
We are volunteers, we work for our members, we’re member lead and we don’t profit from anything we do. Wouldn’t you like to be better paid and have better working conditions? Things might be ok now, but they could be better and who wouldn’t want that? Wouldn’t like to feel valued for what you do? Earn enough to maybe buy a car or a better car? Maybe you’d like to start a family some day or own a house? Maybe you’d like a permanent position with a pension and health benefits? We are stronger together as employees with a union to fight for those things for us as members.
“If I’m a union member or join the union the company will know, who knows if I’m in the union?”
As a union member your data is protected by law in the Data Protection Act 1998 and by the more recent GDPR EU wide regulations that have come in. Your employer does not have the right to ask you if you are a union member, that is illegal and equally, no one has the right to dictate to you that you can’t be a member, or that you should not join. Membership in Unite Archaeology Ireland, is open to all archaeologists, whether they are working, unemployed or a student.
“I don’t plan in staying in archaeology”
If we had a euro for every time we heard this, we wouldn’t need to work. Some of us said that 25 years ago and we’re still here. Even if you really aren’t staying in archaeology, look around you on site or wherever you are working today, wouldn’t you like to help the people around you? Your friends and colleagues who might want to stay? Well by joining the archaeological branch you would be helping them and yourself.
“What can I do to change things in Irish Commercial Archaeology?”
Join the union, individually your voice won’t be heard but together with us, as a union member, it will be, union membership is open to all archaeologists.
“The union wants to cause trouble and have a strike”
Actually, we don’t! We’ve negotiated with employers and on behalf of our members plenty of times without it. Strikes are a last resort, when an employer refuses to negotiate on issues such as pay.
“It’s not my fight”
If you could do something to help your friends, colleagues and co-workers wouldn’t you do it? If you’re working in Irish archaeology, then it is your fight. The wage you are being paid today has risen from €8.65 per hour, the legal minimum wage, which was being paid by some of the larger archaeological companies in 2014. Why did it rise? Only, as a direct result of the union’s living wage campaign and the efforts of our members. There are archaeologists who are being paid above the rate set out in our SEO application, they don’t have to join the union to enjoy its benefits, so why do they? They join because they want everyone to enjoy the benefit of better rates of pay and they believe Irish Archaeology can be better.
“My employer has been singled out”
Quite the opposite. Employee forums have traditionally been a way of employer’s fooling employees into thinking that they don’t need to be in a union. An employee forum cannot legally represent you against your employer, nor can they negotiate legally binding agreements in the Labour Court, such as acquiring a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO), or a pay increase.
“I heard this... a friend told me that...”
The best thing to do is check your facts, ask one of the site reps, look at the archaeological branch’s social media page or if you’re a member check your official emails, these are our official and trusted news sources. Rumours and fake news shouldn’t be given the time of day.
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