Latvian Association of Education and Science Workers (LIZDA) has launched a signature-gathering campaign on the public initiatives platform Manabalss.lv in order to implement amendments to the Cabinet Structure Law and list therein that non-performance of strike agreements would mean the resignation of the government.
LIZDA believe such a situation has surfaced for demands from teachers, specifically how demands were presented, a conciliation committee was composed, compromises were reached and the strike agreement was approved, but the government’s part of the agreement was never implemented.
The trade union complains that the demands were not implemented within agreed-upon terms. The Ministry of Education and Science, on the other hand, claims the ongoing teachers’ strike is basically illegal, because all of the demands listed by LIZDA in September 2022 have been completed
LIZDA is unhappy that there are no clear regulations for dismissal of officials in such situations.
“To promote responsibility of officials and avoid devaluing the essence of collective interest disputes” and implementation of strike agreements,
the trade union invites adding amendments to the Cabinet Structure Law in order to include the option for the government’s resignation if it does not implement agreements reached in strike negotiations to resolve collective interest disputes.
LIZDA believes it would be necessary to add amendments to the Rules of Order of Saeima and introduce an order under which the parliament would have to assess completion or non-completion of strike agreements. Loss of office should be stated as mandatory in the Cabinet Structure Law rather than possible, which could come as a result of the Saeima assessing completion or non-completion of strike agreements.
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