Preparations of Latvian Health and Social Care Workers’ Trade Union (LVSADA) for the full-scale strike on 27th and 28th September are almost complete. There are also plans to hold a protest outside the Cabinet of Ministers building together with the strike.
«Despite the warning strike scheduled for 27 September, neither the government nor the Saeima have moved a finger to try to prevent the strike,» the trade union reports.
LVSADA softened demands multiple times. The current demands require the government to provide for a partial completion of the government’s written promise of 7 August 2017 in relation to guaranteed pay for healthcare workers this year.
«One of the main problems for Latvia’s healthcare sector is the shortage of workers, and the main cause of this problem is the abnormally low remuneration.
The European Commission pointed this out to the Latvian government the Saeima on multiple occasions, as did OECD and the World Bank. When they approved the National Development plan 2021-2027, the Saeima stressed the importance of significantly increasing wages of healthcare workers. However, the government led by Krišjānis Kariņš now pretend they know nothing about that or LVSADA’s strike demands. Completion of demands presented by the trade union will require funding of approximately EUR 30 million. When compared to the government’s emergency expenditures, this is a relatively small amount. This time there is no talk about the money. But what then?» the trade union noted in the statement to the press.
LVSADA chairman Valdis Keris concluded: «Although every year Latvia loses thousands of lives that could have been saved if the country had proper funding of its healthcare sector if it had a sufficient number of workers, the government continues spitefully ignoring the issue. Like it or not, we have to conclude the government seems to want to make Latvia into a well-managed cemetery. The trade union does not share this vision. We will fight for Latvian residents’ right to live!»
The head of LVSADA strike committee, vice-chairperson Līga Bāriņa adds: «The demands of our strike are clear. The objective of our strike is protecting lives – yours and mine! Without doctors there won’t be a Latvia!»
The final decision regarding the strike will be made by LVSADA at a meeting of the council on 20 September.