And the people who have traditionally followed - and
been the backbone of - these professions are women, whose
jobs have always been considered of less economic worth and
status.
-------
On Fri, 26 May 2000 09:40:17 +0100 [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Would it be true to say that the type of people who have traditionally
> followed the professions that Stuart mentions as being lower paid -
> librarians, teachers, social workers and nurses - are
> those that do not generally promote themselves, argue for pay rises,
> convince others of their worth, etc.?
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Sandra Morris, Electronic Information Development Officer
>
> Hugh Owen Library, Information Services,
> University of Wales, Aberystwyth,
> Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3DZ
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Extension: 1892 Phone: (01970) 621892 FAX: (01970) 622404
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> In message <[log in to unmask]>,
> Stuart Halliday <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> > Hi folks
> >
> > Hazel's email seems to have raised a number of issues, one of which is
> > our lowly level of professional remuneration.
> >
> > What we are paid certainly does not accurately reflect the vital
> > function which we fulfill. In terms of the professions employed by
> > public service, why do librarians, social workers and teachers get paid
> > less than doctors, solicitors and engineers. On one level at least all
> > are equal. All are graduate occupations, all require intelligent,
> > articulate, erudite professionals in their ranks The question, however,
> > is twofold. Why has the situation of differential levels of pay
> > developed, and how is it to be remedied?
> >
> > Re the first question, one answer might be that doctors and (to a lesser
> > extent) engineers are paid more because the implications of error in
> > their profession could detrimentally affect human life. This answer does
> > not really go far enough, however. The real reason is, I feel, more
> > straightforward. Taking the case of engineers and solicitors, the bulk
> > of their professional members work in the private sector, in which more
> > competitive salaries can be paid. Thus the private sector sets the
> > yardstick which the public sector must follow in order to recruit
> > competent staff. In the case of teachers, social workers and librarians,
> > the reverse is the case. The preponderance of the profession work in the
> > public sector which is free to set a much lower wage structure (and
> > which, unfortunately) which the private sector can subsequently adopt as
> > its yardstick.
> >
> > That is primarily why we lose out. It is therefore folly to blame our
> > professional body for our low wages. It is not the Library Association's
> > fault. It is simply the fault of market forces and, if you like, of the
> > financial system by which we are governed.
> >
> > How are we to change things? There seems no way forward short of
> > ditching the whole capitalist/monetarist system, the very system which
> > is responsible for the truly obscene variations in remuneration - a
> > system all three of our major political parties slavishly support. Think
> > of the pittance paid to members of the nursing profession against the
> > millions earned by (or rather, paid to) to footballs and their talents
> > wives, for instance. Or consider the obscene wealth enjoyed by the
> > Gatesian empire, which at its height could have bought off the entire
> > Third World debt and still had enough left over to treat every adult
> > inhabitant of South America to a fish supper and a crate of Newcastle
> > Brown Ale. Surely the answer to the our simple question (and to the much
> > greater one) lies in finding a viable, acceptable and democratic
> > alternative to capitalism?
> >
> >
>
>
> ------- End of Forwarded Message
>
----------------------
University Open Day 29 August www.abdn.ac.uk/openday
Christine A Miller - Special Projects Manager
Queen Mother Library, University of Aberdeen
Meston Walk, ABERDEEN AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK
Tel: 01224 272572 [log in to unmask]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|