Against precariousness in higher education : 2023 is happening : Updates and Outlook
Dear Supporters,
In summer 2022 we celebrated a major success: the Swiss National Council voted in support of our demands to take steps towards a more sustainable academic system. We are eagerly awaiting the fruits of this decision, but national politics takes time. Meanwhile, a lot is happening within the different institutions of higher education. As the cantons and the universities themselves have a high autonomy in the Swiss federal political landscape, this work at the local level is extremely important. Here is a short overview on some of the local developments:
– After years of hard work, the mid-level staff association in Zurich reached a breakthrough: The UZH is creating new permanent research and teaching positions. Sustainable working conditions and stable perspectives are feasible in Swiss academia and will benefit everyone, in particular the institutions themselves. Additionally, the University will grant an increase of protected research time for PhDs. You can find more details about these developments at UZH here.
- In Fribourg, similar developments are happening. More permanent research, teaching and leading administrative positions will be created targeting members of the local mid-level staff association. Discussions on systemically strengthening its members’ voices through increased representation and votes in the university’s by-laws and meetings are currently underway and have received support from several actors involved at university level.
- In Lausanne, the mid-level staff association launched a petition (please sign if you are at UNIL!) for equal working conditions between PhDs on external funding (such as an SNSF funding) and graduate assistants (assistant-e-s diplômé-e-s). The petition aims to reduce the wage gap by doubling the current allowance that SNSF PhD students receive; to guarantee full-time contracts with 70% of protected research time for graduate assistants; and to abolish the practice of multiple successive contracts during the PhD.
- In Basel, an active group of PhD-Students and Post-Docs is pushing for change. The unionized group is working on power abuse, sexual assault and strategies for a fairer working environment. Get in contact here.
- In Geneva, we have recently connected with the Association des Assistant-e-s (ADA) of the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID), which, together with the Syndicat Interprofessionnel of Travailleuses et Travailleurs, is participating in the local- and national-level mobilisation against mid-level staff precarity. Great to see that the mobilizations are expanding!
- Actionuni, which is the umbrella association of all our mid-level staff associations, has already provided multiple position papers on the BFI Botschaft / Message FRI 2025-2028 to different institutional stakeholders. They are now preparing for the public consultation period, which will most likely start in June. Actionuni aims to ensure that despite looming cuts to the funding of higher education on a national level, sustainable researcher careers are possible across institutions of Swiss higher education.
We are happy to see that the work of many mid-level staff associations leads to observable change. For the year to come, we need everyone’s effort. If you can, join your local mid-level staff association, join a union or share this newsletter and the petition academia website with any new colleagues at your institute. On our website you can find arguments and resources (for example the 18 reasons for permanent positions), media coverage and our demands for better working conditions in a sustainable academic system.
And most importantly, this year for the very first time the BFI Botschaft / Message FRI – the key document that outlines the focus and funding for higher education on the national level for a four-year period (2025-2028)– will go through a public consultation process. This means that the public has three months to provide feedback on the document. We call on all mid-level staff associations to make use of this opportunity and make their voice heard by responding to it. The consultation period is planned to start in June. We will keep you posted.
In the meantime, we wish you our very best,
Your Petition Committee
Reçu via la mailing-list de « la pétition », le 20 mars 2023.
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