Dear colleagues,
elections for the staff councils are currently being held at the Freie Universität Berlin.
The staff councils represent the university’s employees; they ensure compliance with legal regulations, have a right of co-determination in personnel matters such as hiring, dismissal, determining pay scales, and in other matters such as work organisation, working time regulations, or staff training and development.
The Freie Universität Berlin has a total of four staff councils:
- the Staff Council of the Central Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum (PR ZE BGBM = Personalrat der Zentraleinrichtung Botanischer Garten Botanisches Museum);
- the Staff Council of Student Employees (PRStudB = Personalrat der studentischen Beschäftigten);
- the Dahlem Staff Council (PRD = Personalrat Dahlem), which represents all university employees except the aforementioned groups (and not only in Dahlem, but also in Lankwitz, Düppel and other locations);
- the Gesamtpersonalrat (GPR), which is responsible for matters affecting more than one of the above councils.
With the exception of the PRStudB, all staff councils are currently being newly elected.
The open ver.di list (ver.di – Offene Liste) is standing for all staff councils. We are colleagues drawn from all areas of the university, including scientific support staff, scientific employees and student employees (our list in detail see here).
The open ver.di list stands for the following positions:
- For us, good personnel policy means: having permanent positions for permanent tasks; being against staff exploitation by means of short-term teaching posts and lectureships; ending unjustified fixed-term contracts, all forms of precarious work, temporary work, the abuse of work orders; an end to the pressure for involuntary unpaid overtime.
- Students are not cheap labour: TV-L activities must be paid according to the TV-L pay scale.
- Occupational health and safety are not a luxury: there must be no cuts in occupational safety! No matter whether this involves a height-adjustable work table, a suitable PC workstation or sufficient personal protective equipment: the employer is responsible for this.
- Heat and cold: During the heat waves of 2018 and 2019, many employees worked under unacceptable conditions. We demand the conclusion of a service agreement with regulations as proposed by the GPR.
- Working hours/Telework/mobile working: We oppose the Presidium’s attempt to use the Corona crisis to make changes to the existing rules. No termination of service agreements on flexible working hours and telework/mobile working!
- Mandatory paid holiday over the Christmas/New Year period: The General Staff Council has also been denied co-determination here. We demand a survey of the employees on this issue!
On the open ver.di list several scientific employees* are running for election and we want to represent the interests of the scientific employees – also with the support of the initiative FU:fair&unbefristet.
Here we stand for the following positions:
- Fixed-term policy: 92 percent of the scientific employees work on a temporary basis. The ‘normal employment relationship’ at the FU Berlin is therefore a temporary position. We are committed to ensuring that fixed-term contracts are deployed to the fullest extent possible, i.e. 4+2 years in the doctoral phase and 3+3 years for postdocs.
- Special regulations of the WissZeitVG : For contracts existing between March 1 and September 30, 2020, the permissible fixed-term period has been extended by 6 months. The Presidential Board has also followed this approach to date. However, the Federal Ministry also provides for an extension by a further six months for contracts existing between October 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. There can be no compromises here!
- Support for the lecturers: In order to enable effective online teaching, the university must provide financial support for home office facilities and compensate for the additional workload resulting from the switch to digital formats.
Go vote! Every vote counts!
Vote for strong staff counsils, vote ver.di – Offene Liste!
Stay healthy,
your candidates of ver.di – Offene Liste
Here are the election dates:
Friday 27.11.2020, 10:00 to 13:00: Henry-Ford-Bau, Foyer, Garystr. 35
Monday 30.11.2020, 10:00 to 14:00 h: Lankwitz, Foyer, Doorman, Malteserstr. 74 -100, House G
Tuesday 01.12.2020, 10:00 to 15:00 h: BCP, Foyer, Arnimallee 22
Wednesday 02.12.2020, 10:00 to 12:00, Henry-Ford-Bau, Foyer, Garystr. 35