Education and Science, Financial Services, Wages

The Finance Ministry has said this in its findings on draft amendments to the regulations for teachers’ wages worked out by the Education and Science Ministry.

The Finance Ministry indicated that in its explanatory note to the draft amendments the Education and Science Ministry has not provided information about the reforms carried out in the education sector but only requested additional budget funding for teachers’ wages from resources that have been reserved for reforms of national importance.

The Education and Science Ministry has only mentioned three documents in its explanatory note: the timetable for teachers’ pay increases, education development guidelines, as well as the government’s action plan. None of these documents deals with reforms in the education sector, the Finance Ministry said.

“It appears that the reform has been omitted, and the Education and Science Ministry has only handed us the bill demanding additional financing. According to the law on the state budget, additional financing can be granted if the Education and Science Ministry has carried out reforms of national significance. If the job is already done, they only have to add information about it in the explanatory notes. If the job is not done, the colleagues have rushed with the pay rise without carrying out the reforms,” the Finance Ministry said.

As reported, the council of the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) today decided to organize an indefinite strike in September if teachers’ pay rules are not amended by the end of June.