Stable Jobs – Better Science (VPOD)

Die Arbeits- und Anstellungsbedingungen von Assistierenden, Doktorierenden und Postdoktorierenden an Schweizer Hochschulen müssen dringend verbessert werden. 80 Prozent der Angestellten des akademischen Mittelbaus an Universitäten, Fachhochschulen und pädagogischen Hochschulen sind prekär angestellt. Befristete Verträge, Machtmissbrauch und ständiger Wettbewerb schaden sowohl den Angestellten als auch der Wissenschaftsqualität.

Aus diesem Grund lancieren die Mitglieder der Gewerkschaft VPOD die nationale Kampagne «Stable Jobs – Better Science». An mehreren Schweizer Hochschulen werden in den kommenden Monaten Veranstaltungen und Aktionen durchgeführt, um Angestellte des Mittelbaus zu organisieren. Ziel ist es, für mehr Dauerstellen, bessere Anstellungsbedingungen und eine öffentliche, freie und qualitativ hochwertige Forschung und Lehre zu kämpfen. Schliess dich uns an, werde Mitglied beim VPOD. Nur gute Arbeitsbedingungen ermöglichen bessere Wissenschaft.

YES! The National Council supports the postulate!

Dear Supporters,

We are elated: the National Council voted in support of our demands and the Postulat 22.3390 “Für Chancengleichheit und die Förderung des akademischen Nachwuchses / Pour l’égalité des chances et le soutien de la relève scientifique” on June 9! You can read up on the details here.

With this postulate, the Federal Council (Bundesrat / Conseil fédéral) now  

  • needs to conduct a detailed investigation and issue a report on questions of precariousness and equal opportunity for the mid-level staff at Swiss higher education institutions.
  • needs to examine whether a significant number of stable positions for postdoctoral researchers can be created.

Our most sincere thanks go to Marie-France Roth Pasquier, Sandra Locher Benguerel and the Science, Education and Culture Committee of the National Council (WBK-NR/CSEC-CN), the Frauensession 2021, as well as to the parliamentarians of the SP, the Green Party, the Center, and the Green Liberals who voted for this postulate: Thank you for this essential step towards a sustainable change in the academic system of Switzerland!  

When we started this work almost two years ago, we did not expect to get this far – we are incredibly proud and grateful! Proud of what we have achieved, and deeply grateful for everyone’s support: we achieved this thanks to your support in signing this petition and cheering us on, we achieved this thanks to the support of the professors who continue to speak out publicly and within the institutions. We achieved this thanks to the Swiss Young Academy’s organization of key roundtable meetings with all the stakeholders, and last but very much not least we achieved this thanks to all the midlevel staff associations and actionuni and their tireless work in representing the interests of early career researchers.

Together, step by step, stone by stone we can build a more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable higher education system in Switzerland.

We will continue our political work (also on a cantonal level) and we will continue to keep you updated … but first, we need a summer break – the last few weeks and months have been intense.

With our very best of wishes for a wonderful summer!

Your Petition Committee

P.S.: There is a second important initiative at the moment by the 500 Women Scientists to take action and improve the situation for women in Swiss academia. The aim is to firmly establish gender equality criteria and specific, verifiable goals in the accreditation process as a means of quality control for universities. StrukturElle has therefore taken legal action to change laws and regulations in academia to establish SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) criteria and conduct annual monitoring. Please check out their website here for more details: https://www.500womenscientistsfribourgbern.ch/accreditation-initiative

Our petition is in the National Council – we need you now! (Petition Academia, 11.5.2022)

Dear Supporters,

Two weeks ago our petition was discussed by the Science, Education and Culture Committee of the National Council (WBK-NR/CSEC-CN): It accepted the concerns of our petition and for the first time, a political body recognizes the urgency of the need for a culture change at higher education institutions in Switzerland.

Accordingly, it proposes to the National Council to instruct the Federal Council (Bundesrat / Conseil fédéral) as follows:  

  • The Federal Council needs to conduct a detailed investigation and issue a report on questions of precariousness and equal opportunity for the mid-level staff at Swiss higher education institutions.
  • The Federal Council needs to examine whether a significant number of stable positions for postdoctoral researchers can be created.

This is excellent news and an essential step towards a sustainable change in the academic system of Switzerland. However, the National Council (Nationalrat / Conseil national) still needs to vote on the committee’s proposal – and if the proposal is rejected, it could throw us back to square one.

Continuer la lecture de « Our petition is in the National Council – we need you now! (Petition Academia, 11.5.2022) »

ASSAH: Précaire ? Le débat sur la situation du corps intermédiaire académique s’intensifie

Heinz Nauer, 27.01.2021

Une pétition des organisations du corps intermédiaire doit être soumise au printemps. Début octobre 2020, un groupe d’organisations suisses du corps intermédiaire a lancé une pétition adressée à l’Assemblée fédérale demandant une diversification des parcours académiques et « la création d’un nombre conséquent de postes stables pour les chercheur·euse·s post-doctoraux·ales ». […] https://sagw.ch/fr/assh/actualites/news/details/news/prekaer-debatte-zur-situation-des-akademischen-mittelbaus-nimmt-schwung-auf/

https://sagw.ch/fr/assh/actualites/news/details/news/prekaer-debatte-zur-situation-des-akademischen-mittelbaus-nimmt-schwung-auf/

SAGW: Prekär? Debatte zur Situation des akademischen Mittelbaus nimmt Schwung auf

Heinz Nauer, 27.04.2021

Petition der Mittelbauorganisationen soll im Frühling eingereicht werden. Anfang Oktober 2020 lancierte eine Gruppe von Schweizerischen Mittelbauorganisationen eine Petition an die Bundesversammlung, um die Arbeits- und Lebenssituation des wissenschaftlichen Personals zu verbessern. Sie fordern darin eine Diversifizierung der akademischen Karrierewege und «die vermehrte Schaffung von festen Stellen für Forschende und Lehrende nach dem Doktorat». […] https://sagw.ch/sagw/aktuell/news/details/news/prekaer-debatte-zur-situation-des-akademischen-mittelbaus-nimmt-schwung-auf/

https://sagw.ch/sagw/aktuell/news/details/news/prekaer-debatte-zur-situation-des-akademischen-mittelbaus-nimmt-schwung-auf/