March 29, 2024

Fight for good working conditions in science

Many unions and labor initiatives want to fight for quality work in science with a Monday-Friday work week. Within the #Action WeekWissenschaft, attention should be drawn to working conditions, especially for younger scientists, primarily online. The digital launch event (Mondays from 4pm to 5pm) will take place via Zoom and will be broadcast from Berlin.

However, there are also many non-virtual events. At Freie Universität, for example, on Mondays after 17:00 the regulars’ table takes place outdoors around “FU fair and unlimited”. At the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), the scientific staff gathers on Tuesdays, on Wednesdays there is a solidarity event at the Institute of Geography of the FU.

The action week also aims to protest against the new flag time contract bill, which many in initiatives and labor unions believe is insufficient. For a PhD, the Work Alliance requires a standard six-year contract, but the contract duration is at least four years.

After the PhD, there must be permanent employment or temporary employment with a guaranteed promise of permanent employment if certain conditions are met. The Federal Ministry of Research’s draft law provides for more flexible requirements here. A standard two-year contract is required for student assistants.

Actions are also being taken in other federal states in this context, and information kiosks are planned at the universities of Brandenburg.