Archaeologists dig deep in living wage campaign

Archaeologists will launch their dig for a living wage campaign in Dublin today.

Members of the UNITE trade union said their profession has been the victim of a race to the bottom in wages.

They have voted in favour of rejecting all work that pays below the living wage of €11.45 an hour.

"Archaeologists … usually work for private archaeological consultancies in the country, and are recording and preserving our heritage in advance of building projects, as well as contributing to heritage related tourist attractions," said Matt Seaver of UNITE.

"The race to the bottom has seen our wages fall to very low levels, and those entering the profession at the moment - they're on as little as €9.65 an hour."

The Archaeologists will host a demonstration outside the National Museum from 3pm today.