Latvia: health union takes further action on pay

Latvia

(27 September 2022) Members of the LVSADA health and social care trade union are today involved in their second bout of warning strikes in two months as they put pressure on the government to deliver higher pay across the sector.

The union organised a warning strike on 27 July and said that further action would follow today and tomorrow (27-28 September) if there was no response to the union’s demands. LVSADA is also organising a demonstration today outside of the Cabinet building.

The union has been pushing the government to meet the commitment made in 2017 to increase salaries by this year to €2327 for doctors; to €1396 for nurses, midwives and doctors’ assistants and to €931 for nursing assistants. However, instead of negotiating with the union, the government is proposing to introduce a new pay system which will mean only €2147 for doctors, €1289 for nurses, midwives and physician assistants and €770 for nursing assistants.

LVSADA is particularly concerned about what the new pay system will mean for the lowest paid health workers who will see their pay as a percentage of a doctor’s salary fall from 40% to 29%.

The union is highlighting the problem of staff shortages across the sector and the impact that these are having on the quantity and quality of services to patients. It underlines the fact that both the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have acknowledged the need to tackle understaffing and the importance of improving pay and conditions in attracting and retaining health workers.

EPSU sent a message of solidarity and as of 27 September there were also messages of support from EPSU affiliates in Italy, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Belgium, and Finland.

Latvia

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