Labour Unions, Latvia, Markets and Companies, Medicine

Vita Steina, a representative of the Children's Hospital, said they were now planning the work schedule for July to make sure that patients received the required medical care. In some departments the shortage of nurses would be more obvious, in others less so, she said.

The surgeons at the Children's Hospital stopped working the extended regular working hours already in February this year.

As reported, the council of the Latvian Health and Social Care Workers' Trade Union (LVSADA) on May 16 decided to call on healthcare workers to start a warning protest campaign in a way of refusing to work the so-called extended regular working hours or overtime for which they were not paid extra during July.

LVSADA deputy head Liga Barina said that the warning campaign could be just a start - if medics are not heard, other forms of protest might be considered, including mass resignations or strikes. "We are not ready to live on promises," she said.

According to the Health Ministry's estimates, reduction of the extended regular working hours for medics from 60 hours a week to 40 hours a week starting from July 1 would require additional EUR 2.9 mln this year, EUR 15 mln in 2018, and EUR 27 mln in 2019.

The Finance Ministry's representatives said that there is no such fiscal space in the budget in 2017 and 2018, therefore such measures would increase budget deficit. The ministry proposes to include this initiative in the next medium-term budget framework. At the same time, if a decision is made to reduce the extended regular working hours for medics starting from July 1, compensating mechanisms should be introduced at the same time.

Other employees are paid 100 percent additional payment for working overtime or more than 40 hours a week, while medics have the so-called extended regular working hours, receiving only regular wage for 60 hours a week.