Workers rights not ratified in full

Feb 20, 2013
From wire reports

RIGA - Saeima on Feb. 14 ratified the Revised European Social Charter; however, the parliament did not ratify the provision which stipulates that all workers have the right to a fair remuneration sufficient for a decent standard of living for themselves and their families, reports LETA.
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis previously said that the charter contained several provisions that would have a major fiscal effect if approved in Latvia, for instance, provisions that deal with remuneration and the minimum wage. The government is analyzing the situation in neighboring countries, and Latvia cannot have salaries completely disconnected from those in neighbor countries and from the economic development indexes, he said.

On the other hand, the article on everyone’s right to protection against poverty and social exclusion was approved by Saeima, as proposed by Harmony Center and All for Latvia-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK.
Article 4 of the Charter (the right to a fair remuneration) was not ratified in full - the parliament approved the provisions that deal with workers’ right to an increased rate of remuneration for overtime work, the right of men and women to equal pay for work of equal value, workers’ right to a reasonable period of notice for termination of employment, as well as the clause which permits deductions from wages only under conditions and to the extent prescribed by national laws or regulations or fixed by collective agreements or arbitration awards.

However, the provision that recognizes the right of workers to remuneration such as will give them and their families a decent standard of living was not ratified by the parliament.
Saeima fully ratified all articles of the Charter, except for Articles 12 (the right to social security), Article 18 (the right to engage in a gainful occupation in the territory of other Parties), Article 19 (the right of migrant workers and their families to protection and assistance) and Article 31 (the right to housing) that were ratified partly by the parliament.
Saeima also did not ratify the Charter’s Article 23 (the right of elderly persons to social protection).

SOCIAL BOOKMARKS:   Delicious   Digg   Reddit   Ask   Facebook   MrWong   Netvouz