PhD Network Netherlands disappointed with the outcome of the MD/PhD lawsuit

The Dutch PhD Network (PNN) has received with disappointment the subdistrict court's ruling in the case brought by 48 MD/PhD grant-bearing PhD candidates against the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Chair Meaghan Polack: "PhD candidates are professional young researchers, responsible for a substantial portion of research in the Netherlands. Therefore, pursuing a PhD is work, and PhD candidates should be treated as employees."

A group of 48 MD/PhD grant-bearing PhD students demanded equal treatment and recognition as their fellow employed PhD students. In practice, they perform the same work, but are not recognized as employees, meaning they are not covered by the applicable collective labor agreement. Consequently, they earn less than (direct) colleagues who earn more, and in addition, they do not accrue pension rights, for example. Between 2016 and 2018, these students were hired to pursue a PhD program during their master's degree in medicine; after five years, they are both general practitioners and PhD researchers. Outside of this period, however, PhD students were hired as employees. The subdistrict court agreed, among other things, with the UMCG's reasoning that grant-bearing PhD students have much more freedom in choosing their PhD topic. Polack: "However, our own research shows that grant-bearing PhD students (including MD/PhD grant-bearing PhD students) do not experience more freedom in choosing a topic than employed PhD students."

The court also made a remarkable statement in the verdict, stating that PhD students are in a "thriving position" compared to meal delivery drivers and parcel sorters: "This comment is unnecessary. It's comparing apples and oranges: nonsensical," said Polack.

The group of claimants disagrees with the judgment and is considering options regarding filing an appeal.