Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers (LIZDA) demands dismissal for Latvian Minister of Education and Science Anda Čakša. The trade union demands it to be done by the end of Monday, the 3rd of July.
LIZDA requests the minister to submit a written confirmation of her decision to step down by the end of Monday so that the trade union can decide on future actions.
Last Friday LIZDA turned to Čakša, recounting numerous of her unprofessional acts, unacceptable decisions, failed promises before education workers. The trade union requested her to step down as minister.
Notification about the dismissal request was also sent to President Egils Levits, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee, Saeima factions, Latvian Free Trade Unions Association, Latvian Association of Local Governments and other organisations.
LIZDA notes that during the 7th of June meeting of its council, which was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the decision was made to ask the ministry to have the Cabinet of Ministers to pass amendments to all regulations that govern the distribution of funding for teachers’ wages by the 30th of June.
The trade union notes that this would ensure distribution of funding in accordance with the ministry’s estimates for education degrees and implementation of previous strike demands.
“If amendments are not passed by the 30th of June, LIZDA will ask the minister to take responsibility and step down by the 3rd of July,” as mentioned in the trade union’s announcement.
The decision was made based on multiple arguments. First of all, since the end of the last teachers’ and education workers’ strike (26th of April) there have been three instances of correspondence and four meetings, including the 6th of June LIZDA council meeting to discuss the implementation of the strike agreement.
Secondly, estimates have changed since the end of the strike, as has the necessity to distribute funding across different education degrees.
One more reason for the minister’s dismissal, according to LIZDA, is that representatives of the sector and municipalities are not sufficiently informed of the volume of allocated funding.
The trade union also reminds that Ministry of Education and Science parliamentary secretary Kārlis Strautiņš confirmed at the last meeting of LIZDA council that in order to ensure appropriate distribution of funding, it is necessary to add amendments to Cabinet of Ministers requirements that govern distribution of funding.
LIZDA believe amendments to aforementioned regulations were not developed, submitted and passed, which does not inspire confidence about completion of the agreement reached with education sector workers.
“However, so far IZM still has not found any way to agree on a joint solution to help balance workload and pass amendments to Cabinet of Ministers regulations,” LIZDA representatives say.
LIZDA also stresses that in the distribution of funding towards the Ministry of Health, the government did not take into account the fact that education and science is considered a priority sector in Latvia.
It is listed in the government’s declaration regarding the planned activities, specifically that “invest in higher education and science in order to achieve dynamic development of innovations in Latvia, expand and strengthen the basis for exports with high added value, as well as to increase national human capital”.
LIZDA accuse IZM of reducing the state funding for State Research programme (by EUR 5 213 282) and the funding for Universities programme (by EUR 1 175 749).
LIZDA therefore concluded that minister Anda Čakša lacks interest and competence in solving existing problems in the education sector and to ensure quality education and science in Latvia. This is why the trade union invites the minister to take responsibility and step down.
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