Our manager tried, a few times, but the process got blocked further up.

I would have started as perm but there was some odd internal policy and the person who hired me in, a friend of a friend, mentioned that HR do not like it when someone gets hired and get a salary that is more than 15% of their previous salary.

I fell into that category, but they were willing to pay a day rate that ended up well exceeding what they would have paid me as perm... probably about 30%+. But then it would have been more difficult to get rid of me.

So the plan was to get me in as contract, get a decent day rate and then move over to perm after 6 months and use that day rate to negotiate a decent salary. Then the boss of that area changed, and when he came on he said he was not going to make changes, just observe. A total lie that is obviously a lie.