Precarious working conditions provoke fury
Facing the prospect of no income, no social security and no jobs, young Spanish PhD students have had enough. The Federación de Jóvenes Investigadores (FJI), a nationwide organisation of young Spanish researchers, demonstrated in Madrid on May 20th to demand better working conditions.
The FJI is standing up to the government. Their demonstration in the Spanish capital was in response to a new law, passed in February, governing the working conditions of scientists in vocational training (Estatuto del Personal Investigador en Formación).
According to the FJI, the new law introduces substantial benefits but does not go far enough. It stops short, for example, of implementing the recommendations of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, both of which have been recently adopted by the European Commission. The new law does concede various social security entitlements (including sickness, unemployment and parental benefits and pension rights), in accordance with existing national labour legislation. However, these benefits are available only to those doctoral candidates beyond their second year of funding and to post-docs. During their first and second years of funding doctoral candidates will be affiliated to the social security system, but will not enjoy the benefits available to others. In the FJI's opinion, this distinction between junior and senior doctoral candidates is discriminatory.
Furthermore, the FJI points out that a scientific career is, for many researchers in Spain, markedly precarious and characterised by insecure employment contracts and an uncertain professional future. Working for months or even years in irregular conditions without any income has become the norm for young scientists in Spain. Competition for the few permanent positions available every year is fierce, causing many young researchers to leave academia. Unfortunately for them, their prospects outside scientific circles are also bleak. On one hand, professional opportunities for scientists in private companies in Spain are meagre. On the other hand, society in general and the government in particular ignore the effort behind most professional research, and do not seem to appreciate the value of science. For example, most committees evaluating candidates for a post in the civil service will dismiss an original paper in, say, Nature as “too short to call a publication” but value the completion of a 20 hour “Excel for beginners” course.
The FJI argues that there are structural deficiencies in the Spanish research system that require responsible policies with long term objectives. They suggest increasing investment in research and development and a closer involvement of universities and research centres in the country's manufacturing industry. Their proposals and demands have been published in a manifesto (
www.precarios.org) signed by more than 5000 scientists from all levels, and backed by several scientific institutions. Since its foundation in April 2000, the FJI has participated in negotiations with various Spanish Ministries including the Ministries for Science, Technology and Education, Regional Government, and Universities and Public Research Organisations. They are also active members of the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Young Researchers (Eurodoc).
Rafael Flores
