The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) is now the second influential non-governmental organization to sign a cooperation agreement with the association “Tiesiskums.lv” regarding the recovery of unlawfully charged mandatory electricity procurement components (OIK) from the electricity bills of residents and businesses. To find out why LIZDA signed this agreement and what benefit it brings to education workers and society as a whole, BNN spoke with LIZDA Chairperson Inga Vanaga.
What attracted LIZDA to this “Tiesiskums.lv” initiative, and why did you decide to sign a cooperation agreement?
We were drawn by the aspects of rule of law, justice, and accountability. LIZDA’s daily work is rooted in defending the rights and interests of our members—from the workplace to municipal, national, and international levels. Advocacy for these interests is something we monitor closely, and we raise concerns with policymakers when the rule of law is not respected, when laws or Cabinet regulations are violated. This trust is something we build together with policymakers and among ourselves. That’s why it’s important not to remain silent about violations. NGOs serve as a bridge between policymakers and certain societal groups whose rights and interests we represent. Strengthening that bridge of trust is our duty, and rule of law is one of its critical pillars.
We’ve seen people leave Latvia because they can no longer accept what’s happening here. Everything must be done to prevent this sense of legal nihilism, and the resulting public disillusionment, mistrust, and apathy. That’s why we welcome the fact that there are other organizations with similar values in their daily work with whom we can join forces, so that each of us can do our part to support others and strengthen the rule of law.
For a long time, society has been demanding change, yet governments seem unmoved—especially when it comes to the demands of education and healthcare workers. Do you think the government will listen now to this call from a large part of society for the return of unlawfully collected OIK payments?
Based on LIZDA’s experience, we’ve seen that politicians do hear demands when they are backed by a broad public mandate. Even our President has pointed this out. When dealing with issues of non-compliance with legal norms, Cabinet regulations, or government decisions, we’ve found that we’re more likely to achieve results when we have strong public backing—in our case, the professionals working in education and science.
The more civically active the public is, the more they demand their rights be respected—or, in cases of injustice, demand redress—the greater the chances of achieving real change. If we act alone, the chances are slimmer. This aligns with our union’s motto: “Alone we beg, together we achieve.” We see that the Latvian Pensioners’ Federation has also heard the voice of the “Tiesiskums.lv” team. For LIZDA, this is important, and we believe policymakers will respect and listen more. It is essential that society at large responds, gets involved, and demonstrates that it will not tolerate further injustices like the OIK and will actively ensure such cases don’t repeat. Now we are trying to recover that overpaid money through legal means.
Some say it’s unreasonable to demand compensation from the state for OIK, especially when the government already lacks funds for other priorities…
We believe it’s each individual’s voluntary choice whether or not to demand compensation. If someone prefers that their overpaid money be used for other priorities, that is their decision. In any case, as a union, we encourage people to respond, sign a contract with “Tiesiskums.lv,” and thereby authorize lawyers to pursue reimbursement of the overpaid OIK.
There will always be numerous and competing priorities, but in this case, we’re talking about damage inflicted on nearly every citizen in this country. This is a matter of justice, and we call on people to be civically active and respond to this initiative. Too often we say, “Well, nothing can be done,” or “This isn’t the first or last time…” But if a large portion of society expresses its stance and demands accountability, perhaps this really could be the last time. If the court rules in favor of the people, then the state will have to find the funds to deliver justice to those who overpaid—and return that money to them.
During the OIK period, various politicians called it the “biggest theft scam in Latvian history disguised as green energy,” a “fundamental, national, macroeconomic mistake that must be corrected,” and a “legal injustice.” Now those same politicians—some of whom are still in power—are silent. Why this hypocrisy?
That’s exactly why this association has been established—one of its core values is to strengthen democracy. Without a doubt, we have a democratic system—there’s no question about that—but we also see its negative side effects. In a state governed by the rule of law, processes should be transparent, and decisions should benefit the people. Recovering the overpaid OIK is also a crucial message for future decision-making: schemes like the OIK system must never be allowed again in any field. Society will be watching closely, will not tolerate such actions, and will not remain silent.
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