In the search for a solution to topics related to the situation with teachers, it would be better if Latvian Association of Education and Science Workers (LIZDA) took a more productive stance in talks with the government, said Latvian PM Krišjānis Kariņš in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
The PM stressed that the government wants to raise teachers’ wages, and in regards to this the government and the trade union are allies. The question, he said, is finding funding for this.
Kariņš said this year’s budget has plans to allocate around EUR 100 million towards this. The question, he said, was about ensuring continued wage growth in the future. The PM is confident it is necessary to reform the school network in order to ensure long-term funding.
«This is frustrating: being presented with threats of a strike after we secured historically the biggest increase,»
said the politician. «The other side needs to understand – we have to cooperate. All sectors suffer a shortage of money. Teachers aren’t the only ones who need money. If we all do it, the country will stop in its tracks. This is why is hope for cooperation.»
Kariņš believes in the end ‘healthy reason will win’ and no strike will happen.
As previously reported, having received no concrete commitment from the government on fulfilling previously given promises and diverting more budget funding towards raising teachers’ wages and balancing the workload, the Council of LIZDA decided to give the government time until the 15th of March or order to develop amendments to regulations and comply with demands. If the government does not comply, Latvian teachers will organise a nation-wide strike on the 24th of April.
According to LIZDA leader Inga Vanaga, the biggest problem at the moment is that
the ministry proposes a wage increase and workload balancing schedule without any clear amounts and funding sources.
Vanaga also stressed she cannot agree with the ministry’s additionally allocated EUR 61 million, because this amount is intended to pay for the duties not covered by workload-balancing measures. This money has nothing to do with the schedule that was approved at the government meeting.
The Ministry of Education and Science, meanwhile, reminds that the state budget plan for 2023 already includes historically the largest wage growth plan for teachers. The government decided on allocating EUR 61 million towards implementation of the agreement reached with teachers. The total resource allocated towards teachers’ wages reaches EUR 124.3 million for 2023.
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