The possible change of the Minister of Education in Latvia will not affect the deal reached between Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers (LIZDA) and Ministry of Education because it will be signed between institutions, as LIZDA manager Inga Vanaga told LETA.
Representatives of the trade union and the ministry met today to continue working on the deal. During the meeting officials discussed the option proposed by LIZDA.
The ministry promised the trade union to submit an updated redaction by the 11th of September. The review is scheduled for the 12th of September.
The discussion also touched on the topic of the competence of higher education institutions. This is why it is planned to meet with representatives of those institutions to find a solution. Vanaga mentioned that the proposed professional improvement option for teachers does not meet the actual demand.
LETA previously reported that the Ministry of Education and Science previously conceptually agreed to the deal for a social peace in the education and science sector. All that is left is looking into various “technicalities”.
The ministry’s parliamentary secretary Silvija Reinberga said the ministry cannot take responsibility for certain points of the deal, considering that their approval is in the hands of the Saeima or the government as a whole.
The purpose of the deal sent by the trade union is to promote development of education and science in Latvia, ensuring the protection of labour and socio-economic rights and interests of workers in the sector, as well as cooperation and social dialogue in the field of education and science.
To accomplish this, LIZDA proposed 29 points, covering the entire sector, as well as inviting work on balancing the workload of teachers for the future years to continue. The trade union also proposes clarifying estimates for grants from the state budget.
The deal also provides giving LIZDA administration and office experts viewing rights in the National Education Information System. According to Vanaga, the lack of access had previously made it impossible to verify the accuracy of the ministry’s estimates in regards to the allocated funding to comply with demands of the teachers’ strike.
As previously reported, the trade union allows that work on the deal could take approximately a month.
The conflict between LIZDA and IZM has continued for some time over compliance with demands from the previous strike of teachers and workers of the education sector. LIZDA accused the ministry of various errors in calculation, whereas the ministry responded that the trade union is splitting hairs instead of improving the quality of education.
According to [Minister of Education and Science Anda] Čakša, the main point of contention between the two sides is agreeing on who the teachers’ employer really is, stressing the importance of municipalities in distribution of grants. The minister mentioned the “varied interpretation” of the size of wages for teachers even though the “bar” or grants are provided to all municipalities equally. “Maintenance of education quality plays a major role for municipalities,” the minister stressed.
Later the trade union voiced concerns that the fight between them and the minister responsible for the entire sector has escalated “because of incompetence of certain workers of the ministry”. According to Vanaga, some of the ministry’s workers may have “reflected information” about the situation to the minister incorrectly.
The President of the Latvian Association of Educators (LIVA) Rūdolfs Kalvāns was previously critical about the dialogue between LIZDA and IZM, saying that teachers have become hostages in negotiations about compliance with demands from the strike, considering that estimates of the funding to be provided are in a constant state of update.
He welcomed the trade union’s will to secure the biggest possible funding amount for the sector. However, he said there “is no guarantee that much will be provided”. This is why, according to Kalvāns, officials should stop changing digits all the time. He said one of the sides should finally give in.
On the 21st of April Latvia’s government approved amendments submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science. These amendments state the lowest hourly rate of teachers, except for kindergarten teachers, is to be EUR 8.50 starting with the 1st of September.
Later, on the 26th of April, the government agreed to allocate additional funding EUR 4 168 067 to comply with teachers’ demands voiced during this year’s strike.
More on this topic: Latvian teachers’ trade union accuses IZM workers of misleading ministry higher-ups