German academic coalition demands abolition of WissZeitVG law

A coalition of 16 organizations, including the union ver.di and various scientific representatives, is calling for the complete abolition of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG) in Germany. The alliance seeks to bring academic staff under general labor law standards, ending special regulations that allow for extended fixed-term contracts in research.

Proponents argue that current laws facilitate precarious employment practices, such as chain fixed-term contracts. Statistics indicate that four out of five early-career researchers without professorships are employed on temporary contracts. An online petition supporting these reforms has gained significant momentum, reaching nearly 70,000 signatures.