Page 213 - Neutrons for Sciences and Society

that there was a total absence of conflicts, even minor ones, between French and Germans. At the ILL the non-French personnel received a salary supplement known as the “prime
de dépaysement” to compensate for living abroad114. This never posed any serious problems, though the same was not the case at the ESRF undoubtedly because the atmosphere there was never so relaxed.
The career evolution for the scientists could pose some problems due to differences in the two countries. The CEA career structure (which served as a basis) only had permanent posts which could be offered to young scientists. At the CNRS again there are only permanent posts but these are obtainable only after submitting a thesis. In Germany, until 1975, only full professors had permanent posts. After a period when this practice was abolished it has now returned. There were also some permanent posts in government research centres like Jülich, and the Max Planck Institutes. Before reaching this status the scientists passed from one fixed term contract (assistant) to another similar contract. At the ILL it was decided that physicists recruited would be offered 5 year contracts which could only be transformed into permanent posts on expiry in exceptional cases justified by special responsibilities. This situation was outside normal employment law but was legalised by a law passed by Parliament on 22 December 1998, and by the Senate on 23 November 1999, published in the Journal Officiel on 2 December 1999.
114 EU rules may not allow this practice in the future.
Conclusion - An appraisal
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