More than two thousand doctorates in Chile are without work
Unemployment in this academic level professionals fell to 16%. Yesterday, thousands of people marched through science.
This Saturday participated in the "March for science and knowledge", in Santiago, about 4,500 people, according to the organisers. The protest was part of demonstrations that were conducted globally (see secondary note) to assert the importance of science and scientists in developing countries.
In Chile, protest was organized by a score of institutions, from the National Association of researchers in graduate (Anip) until University federations, to demand the solution to various problems, among them the job insecurity.
This issue was raised in the second 'Insertion of 2018 scientific researchers' survey, conducted by the Anip between January 19 and March 16 this year. The results indicate that 79% of persons with PhD has employment; 5% is inactive, and 16%, unemployed, that would translate into 2.278 professionals profit of a universe of physicians 14.237 that Chile would have this year, according to estimates that possesses the Association.
The measurement was applied to 515 people and in this second version, it was found that higher unemployment in 2016, when was the first time the poll, in which the figure was 12%. The Anip explains that unemployment for this year is explained because a number of projects close to the end of the year, as well as some contracts in universities which expire on 31 December.
"This releases alerts. This says that many people in science does work for 10 months during the summer do not receive salary and they have to stay in January and February with what saves in the job months", says Roberto Muñoz, Vice President of the Anip.
Precarity
Included in the study doctorates are all areas of knowledge, from natural sciences to humanities, who perform mostly in universities (79%) and to a lesser extent in companies (5.2%).
Also, the survey reveals the precariousness of the contractual situation of doctorates in public and traditional universities: 25.1% have permanent contract; 31.8% fixed; 21.5% has a fee contract; 16.6% to fees (boletea without a contract), and the rest only has Word or other agreements. The thickness of the researchers issued ballots corresponds to young researchers working in Fondecyt and Millennium initiative projects.
Why they allowed this? Muñoz explains that the phenomenon occurs because many universities and institutions are governed by administrative law and not labour law which applies to the rest of the workers. "That mean." For example, the Fondecyt postdoctoral program funds each year 300 young researchers, which are inserted into the Academy. Those 300 that are inserted are boleteando", he says.
Muñoz explains that in Argentina, where this problem was discussed for two decades, it was decided to create the so-called scientific career, which consists of the commitment of the State to ensure you work in universities. Therefore expected that the future Ministry of science can coordinate the different actors to address the problem of the inclusion.
March national
For this reason, in the March yesterday, scientists claimed the creation of researcher's career and thus change the situation of those who work in this area.
The mobilization was carried out in different parts of the country. In the Metropolitan Region, the main demonstration started at 1530 hours at the front of the National Museum of fine arts, and concluded in the Plaza de la Constitución, opposite the Palacio de La Moneda.
"Fulfilled the objective of gathering and calling people, became much more than last year and that's an improvement. In addition, we grouped more organizations and generate an important request. In that sense, was a success,"says Cristián Undurraga, Coordinator of the March, for whom the next step of the movement in Chile is to start influencing the political agenda on issues of science.
There, logically, its prime objective is to accelerate the discussion and approval of the Ministry of science, currently in the Chamber of Deputies.
