New agreement provides wage increase for police employees

Latvia’s government and police trade unions have signed an agreement on wage increases for employees in the police service. The agreement provides for improving the system of wages and social guarantees for Interior Ministry employees and prison officers, as well as facilitating the work of law enforcement institutions and ensuring staff retention. The agreement is the latest step in an industrial relations process aimed at improving working conditions in the state police force which began in 2004.

New collective agreement signed

On 4 October 2006, the Latvian government and two trade unions – the Latvian United Police Trade Union (Latvijas Apvienota policistu arodbiedriba, LAPA) and the Independent Police Trade Union (Neatkarigo Policistu arodbiedriba, NPA) – signed an agreement on wage increases for police officers. LAPA was established in January 2006 to avert a crisis in the Ministry of the Interior (Iekšlietu ministrija), brought about by police officers’ objections to unfair wage payments and the failure to observe legally mandated social guarantees (LV0601101F, LV0510101N). Shortly after the founding of the new trade union, a group of dissatisfied members broke away from it and established a second police trade union, NPA.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Latvian government by Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, Interior Minister Dzintars Jaundžeikars, Justice Minister Guntars Grinvalds and Finance Minister Oskars Spurdzinš. On the trade union side, LAPA Chair Agris Suna and NPA Chair Maris Berzinš signed the agreement on behalf of police employees.

On 19 October 2006, NPA and the State Police (Valsts Policija, VP) also signed the collective agreement for the sector. The agreement covers all police employees in service, and those who are retired from active duty but still working in VP on the basis of a job agreement.

Content of wage agreement

The signed wage agreement provides for improving the pay and social guarantee system for officers working in institutions coming under the umbrella of the Ministry of the Interior, namely police officers, border guards and fire fighters. It also covers special service grade officers of the Prison Administration (Ieslodzijumu vietu parvalde, IeVP), under the control of the Ministry of Justice (Tieslietu ministrija). The agreement aims to facilitate the work of law enforcement institutions and to ensure staff retention.

The agreement stipulates that, from 1 January 2007, monthly wages will increase by €228 on average for each official of the Interior Ministry institutions, and by an average of €170 for each correctional institution officer.

The concluded agreement established that, by 1 November 2006, the Cabinet would adopt regulations on the wage system for law enforcement officers, to come into force on 1 January 2007.

In September 2006, the Ministry of the Interior therefore prepared several regulations governing wage increases, improved social guarantees and reformed benefits procedures for employees of institutions under its remit. The regulations stipulate that the state will continue to pay compensation for failure to observe legally mandated social guarantees which came about due to contradictions in the laws governing police operations. The regulations will govern wage payments for police officers, fire fighters, border guards and correctional institution officers with special service rank.

The new regulations will define position titles and break down positions by category and level. It is anticipated that monthly wages for police officers, fire fighters and correctional institution officers could be increased by €570 on average by 2009.

Commentary

Special regulations were necessary as it was anticipated that, from January 2007, the status of police officers, fire fighters and prison employees would be changed. Previously, the employees of these services had the status of officials in the special services of the state civil service. However, since 1 January 2007, these institutions no longer have civil service status, but are instead termed special service rank officers. To govern the operation of the aforementioned services, a special body of law has been created under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior Process Law and the Disciplinary Responsibility Law.

Against this background, the work of the trade unions is particularly significant. Unfortunately, differences and disputes between the police trade unions over representation could hinder their efforts. Nevertheless, the unions have already demonstrated their importance; the border guards have noted the success of the police and have requested permission to establish a trade union of their own.

Raita Karnite, Institute of Economics, Latvian Academy of Sciences