Precarious Employees at Austria's Universities Protesting
The current funding crisis, caused by inflation and rising energy costs, is being felt by younger researchers in particular. Most of them have fixed-term contracts, and now there is to be a freeze on extensions. At a protest event, they draw attention to their precarious working conditions.
The amended Universities Act limits fixed-term employment contracts at universities to a maximum of eight years. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons, Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
The fixed-term contracts and chain contracts primarily affect researchers who are precariously employed at the universities. The majority of academic staff have fixed-term contracts that run for one to two years. The positions are often financed through research projects, i.e. third-party funding. Then the researchers have to apply for an extension. After eight years, that's it - since…
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