Super-GAU at universities? Nothing new in the under-construction workforce

Austria's universities are facing a potential "super-GAU", the greatest possible accident, due to looming budget cuts slated for 2028 to 2030. This prospect has fueled significant protests and widespread concern over the future of the nation's higher education sector. However, the issue of precarious conditions within universities is not new; it has been a persistent problem since the 2002 amendment to the University Law.

The most vulnerable groups, namely junior academic staff and students, have borne the brunt of these ongoing financial pressures. Current proposals involve further austerity measures, including a reduction in academic and artistic personnel. Due to the prevalence of fixed-term contracts, many positions can be eliminated simply by not renewing them, affecting approximately 80 percent of this staff. Additionally, the reintroduction of tuition fees is being considered.

The "Mittelbau," or mid-level academic staff, comprising lecturers, postdocs, research assistants, and project staff who are not professors, forms the actual backbone of Austrian universities. This group is responsible for a substantial portion of research and teaching. The "Netzwerk Unterbau Wissenschaft" (NUWiss), an initiative highlighting the precarious situation of this staff, metaphorically refers to them as the "under-construction" foundation of the university.

Since the 2002 University Law, the situation for this group has structurally deteriorated. The law limits the total duration of fixed-term contracts at a university to eight years. This "chain contract" rule, contrary to its intention of promoting permanent positions, often leads to highly qualified research and teaching staff being forced to leave academia after eight years. NUWiss already warned in 2023 with the slogan "Super-GAU im Mittelbau" that the limit of endurance had been reached. The recent solidarity shown by university rectors, expressed through media appearances only after the threat of budget cuts emerged, is seen as questionable given these long-standing issues.