The service union Verdi has demanded the complete removal of the special regulations governing fixed-term contracts within academia. Ahead of a hearing in the Bundestag concerning the revision of the University Employment Contract Act, Verdi sharply criticized the draft legislation proposed by the Federal Government. According to Sylvia Bühler, a member of Verdi’s federal executive board, the government’s legislative proposal sends a fatal message to researchers: “We have no interest in reliable career prospects at German higher education institutions.”
Verdi estimates that around 80 percent of academic staff employed in universities and research institutions currently work on fixed-term contracts. Bühler pointed out that multi-year chains of temporary contracts are the norm for even highly qualified doctoral researchers, leading to the loss of the most talented personnel. The union argues that the specific regulations for fixed-term contracts in science must either be abolished or the law reformed to create significantly more permanent employment opportunities.
The union criticized the draft, stating that it offers only minor improvements and falls short of the plans developed by the previous government. Bühler insisted: “It must be clearly stated that doctoral graduates are not in a qualification phase anymore. They must, in general, be permanently employed.”
Furthermore, Verdi objected to the unchanged wage freeze, which it believes prevents better collective agreements from being reached. The Federal Government, the union argues, is doing nothing to limit the widespread use of fixed-term contracts while simultaneously seeking to expand the possibility of contracts based solely on task requirements. According to studies, temporary employees are often deterred from becoming parents or voicing criticism within the workplace, a dynamic Bühler described as “fatal.”
