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Saturday, 27.04.2024, 02:24
Health and Social Care Employees' Union in Latvia to hold rally on April 20
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Although some unions had proposed calling a strike on April 20, the majority of council members voted for a rally.
The rally will take place as close to the venue of the EU health ministers' event as possible. Union leader Valdis Keris said it would be held at the Latvian National Library, however, authorities may deny a permit if it takes place right next to the library, which is why other locations in the vicinity will be considered.
A few members of the Union of Health and Social Care Employees said that no rally was needed. For instance, Ogre Hospital's trade union said that the hospital was receiving sufficient money from the state to pay staff salaries. On the other hand, other unions said that financial management practices at some hospitals and clinics had to be revised in order to find extra funds, reminding that "the public knows full well about the insufficient funding for health care, therefore no marches or rallies are necessary."
Participants in the meeting stressed that they were demanding higher salaries not only for doctors, but also nurses and other personnel. Many went on to say that members of the general public should also get involved, as problems in health care concern not only medical workers but the entire community.
The Union of Health and Social Care Employees emphasized once again that the rally would be organized to protest insufficient funding, which this year is at just 3 percent of gross domestic product. Another major problem is that two largest hospitals in Latvia may be on the verge of insolvency.
The union also points out that the proportion of residents with neglected health care needs in Latvia is the highest in the EU, that salaries for medical personnel increase with considerable delay, compared to other sectors, and that only 50% of graduates from medical universities and colleges seek employment in Latvia.
Regardless of all these problems, the government is not planning to increase spending for health care, said Keris.
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