Free membership for PhDs

Forskerforbundet – The Norwegian Association of Researchers (NAR) – is Norway’s largest and leading trade union and special interest organisation for employees in research, higher education and dissemination of knowledge. More than 24 000 researchers, knowledge workers and students, and more than 2000 PhDs and postdocs, are currently members.

But Guro Elisabeth Lind, president of NAR, wants more young scientists to join.

– Too many PhDs are not members of a union. That means they get no assistance in salary negotiations, no support in conflicts at their workplace, and no access to valuable insurances. We want to get as many PhDs as possible to organize, and therefore we offer free membership until the end of 2022, Lind says.

All PhDs who join now, get covered by NARs basic insurance plan during the same time period (free of charge). During their first year as a member, they pay only 25% of the regular monthly fee. In the following years as a PhD candidate, the fee is 50%.

By joining NAR, you join a trade union with a developed policy plan for PhD candidates.

– The wages and working conditions for PhDs is one of the most important issues for us. NAR has managed to raise the starting salary for PhD candidates by 20 pay grades the last 15 years, and this continues to be a priority for us. Additionally, we place high importance on research training of high international quality, better career planning, and to reduce temporary contracts and create more permanent scientific positions, Lind continues.

NAR also host a two-day seminar for PhD candidates every year, as well as other interesting courses and seminars.

We want to create a good meeting place for PhDs to exchange experiences and worries, and to develop new policies to make life as a PhD candidate easier. In October we will complete a new policy document for PhD and postdocs, Lind says.

She encourages all current members of NAR to grab this opportunity to organize more young researchers.

(Article from Forskerforum 7/2022)