Karnite, Raita
Pay demands by medical staff spread
07 Decembris 2004
In September 2004, doctors working as anaesthetists called for higher pay and
shorter working hours (in accordance with the law) (LV0410101N [1]), and
stated that from November they would unilaterally cut their working time and
workload to levels they regard as being accordance with their pay and the
law. Doctors in many other specialisms have joined the campaign. In response
to the anaesthetists’ demands, the government promised to find additional
funds in the 2004 state budget and to speed up the completion of current
healthcare reforms. This will involve 'optimising' the network of healthcare
bodies, meaning that several hospitals will be closed. The government also
mentioned increased payments for treatment by patients as a possible source
of improved funding.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/anaesthetists-launch-wage-campaign
Tripartite dialogue renewed
02 Novembris 2004
The beginnings of tripartite (government, employer and trade union)
cooperation in Latvia go back to 1993, when the cabinet approved a 'concept
on the fundamental principles for the establishment of tripartite cooperation
in Latvia and its necessity' (Decision No 70 of 19 October 1993). On 5 July
1994, parliament ratified the 1976 International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Convention No.144 on tripartite consultation (international labour standards)
[1]. The legal foundations of social dialogue were subsequently enshrined in
the Labour Law - Latvia's main item of legislation regulating individual and
collective relations at work (LV0405103F [2])
[1] http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C144
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/labour-law-examined
European Works Councils - law and practice
14 Oktobris 2004
EU Directive 94/45/EC [1] on the establishment of a European Works Council
(EWC) or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale
groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees
was implemented in Latvia by the law on informing employees of European
Community-scale commercial companies and European Community-scale groups of
commercial companies and consulting such employees [2], which came into force
on 1 July 2001.
[1] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31994L0045&model=guichett
[2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/labour_law/docs/Implementation_latvia_en.pdf
Anaesthetists launch wage campaign
03 Oktobris 2004
In early September 2004, doctors working as anaesthetists at the Gailezers
hospital (Klīniskā slimnīca Gaiļezers), Latvia’s largest, announced
that they intend to stop working long hours. They currently often work for 24
hours at a time, for pay that is equivalent to the average national wage (EUR
300 per month). The anaesthetists believe that such working hours are
unacceptable, with tired doctors risking not just their own health but also
that of patients, and that their wages are inadequate in terms of both the
amount of time worked and the level of complexity and responsibility required
in the work. The anaesthetists have announced they will start working roughly
eight-hour days from 13 October 2004 unless their wages are set in accordance
with their workload, which they argue means increasing their pay fourfold.
They will decline to perform planned (non-emergency) operations, but will
still provide emergency services and perform acute operations and care for
children and oncology patients.
Pay determination in public institutions
29 Septembris 2004
This article examines pay in Latvian public institutions. For its purpose,
these are state organisations performing the functions of the state,
including administration, security and defence, justice, social welfare and
so on. Not considered here are educational, scientific, health and cultural
institutions, together with a range of other specialised public service
bodies. Public institutions in Latvia may be completely financed from the
state budget, by a mix of state funding and income from their own activities,
or entirely from their own activities.
New rules introduced on teachers' pay and qualifications
27 Septembris 2004
Industrial relations in the education system are the most high profile of any
sector in Latvia. In most other sectors, whatever the state of working and
employment conditions, information about them is rarely publicised and there
are no reports of conflicts. For example, there are reports that the rights
of agricultural, retail and construction workers are not fully respected,
while statistics show that there are major differences between the wages of
female and male workers in the banking sector, which could be caused by
infringements of gender equality laws. However, in none of these sectors do
workers or their representatives appear to have raised objections about their
working and employment conditions. The main exception is education, where
attempts by workers to enforce their rights have forced the government to
listen and take favourable decisions (LV0408103F [1] and LV0406102F [2])
(there are also some signs of similar developments in the healthcare sector,
where wages do not reflect the complex nature of the work - LV0405102N [3]).
[1] ShowRecord(
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/controversy-over-teachers-pay-continues
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/ambulance-drivers-threaten-strike
Thematic feature - industrial relations and undeclared work
09 Septembris 2004
The phenomenon of undeclared work - defined as 'any paid activities that are
lawful as regards their nature but not declared to the public authorities'-
is an issue which has been preoccupying the EU institutions for a number of
years. In 1998, the European Commission issued a Communication [1] on
undeclared work, which was designed to launch a debate on the causes of such
work and the policy options for combating it (EU9804197F [2]). It suggested
that there was a need to clarify the causes and extent, and concluded that
combating undeclared work should be part of the overall European employment
strategy [3].
[1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/employment_strategy/index_en.htm
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/commission-targets-undeclared-work
[3] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/employment_strategy/index_en.htm
National Action Plan for employment approved
06 Septembris 2004
On 23 August 2004, a government committee approved Latvia's 2004 National
Action Plan (NAP) for employment, which was prepared by an interministerial
working group. The government has been preparing such documents for the last
five years (LV0407102F [1]), but in 2004 the NAP will be submitted to the
European Commission for the first time, following Latvia's EU accession in
May.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/industrial-relations-aspects-of-public-employment-policy-analysed
Education workers' pay remains controversial
30 Augusts 2004
Due to economic difficulties, from the early 1990s pay in Latvian educational
institutions worsened considerably. Of late, there has been a slight
improvement in the wage conditions of teachers in 'general' educational
establishments, following considerable trade union efforts. However, pay
remains controversial in other parts of the educational system, with
employees arguing that wages are not commensurate with their work.
Doubts raised over future minimum wage increases
11 Augusts 2004
On 27 May 2003, the government adopted a schedule for increasing the
statutory national minimum wage, after lengthy discussions between the social
partners. This schedule provided for a gradual increase in the minimum wage
to stand at 50% of the average gross monthly wage for the previous year in
2010 (LV0307101N [1]). In accordance with the schedule, the monthly minimum
wage was raised from EUR 90 to EUR 105 in 2003 and to EUR 120 from 1 January
2004 (LV0310101N [2]). In 2004 the minimum wage represents 41.7% of the
average gross monthly wage in 2003.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/government-plans-to-double-minimum-wage
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/government-increases-minimum-wage