📋 Tender Overview
The deputies Rudolf Taschner OVP Eva Blimlinger Greens and Martina Knsberg Sarre NEOS submitted an initiative proposal to extend the regulation on temporary employment at universities against the background of COVID-19 measures to other groups of people 660 A. The COVID-19 Higher Education Act C-HG was enacted as part of the 3rd COVID-19 Act. The C-HG contains a special provision on the university law regarding employment relationships of employees in the context of third-party funded projects or research projects from March 16 2020. These employment relationships can therefore be used once for the completion of projects or publications that have been delayed due to COVID-19 measures can be extended for a limited period or newly concluded for a limited period. A period of 12 months must not be exceeded.However it has meanwhile turned out that the current regulation is not sufficient to avoid negative effects on young scientists in any case it says in the justification of the initiative proposal. This is the case for example if qualification requirements have to be met that cannot be met on time due to the COVID-19 measures. Teachers can also be affected by the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because certain teaching services could not be provided such as artistic group or individual classes at art universities. For this reason the amendment is intended to extend the special provision of Section 6 C-HG to these affected groups of people. A one-time extension of the fixed-term employment contract for a maximum of 12 months or a new one-time fixed-term employment contract is also provided here for a maximum of 12 months. The C-HG is scheduled to expire on September 30 2021.Given the special situation Sibylle Hamann Greens Josef Smolle VP Andrea Kuntzl SP and Martina Knsberg Sarre NEOS saw the regulation as justified. Committee chairman Martin Graf FP expressed certain reservations about details of the regulation but he also announced the approval of his group.In this context FP MP Graf also urged a resolution to reformulate Section 109 of the University Act which regulates chain contracts at universities 654 A E . In his opinion the new regulation should contain that a fixed-term employment relationship can only be extended once. Furthermore the total duration should not exceed ten years. A career decision should be made as early as possible. In addition an option to terminate the temporary employment relationship must be provided. He doubts that there is a will to find a solution since the universities could have found one within their autonomy.The FP application was postponed with the votes of the VP and the Greens. Smolle VP pointed out that a solution was already being worked on. Eva Blimlinger Greens also confirmed this noting that the negotiations were complex because there were so many different points of view to consider. Science minister Heinz Famann said that the question of chain contracts is undoubtedly difficult but in his view it can be solved. He announced a government bill for fall that would include regulations on how long and how often contracts could be renewed.
