23,600 teachers from 815 education institutions to go on strike next Monday

RIGA - As many as 23,601 education employees from 815 education institutions will go on an open-ended strike next Monday, Inga Vanaga, chair of the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA), told LETA. 

The registration of participants of the trike ended before noon on Monday. 

A reconciliation committee failed to find a compromise solution on teachers' pay increase, so LIZDA is going ahead with the strike, which starts September 19. 

On Tuesday, September 13, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) will meet with LIZDA representatives to discuss possible compromise solutions concerning teachers' wages and workload. 

The prime minister's spokesman Sandis Sabajevs told LETA that Education and Science Minister Anita Muizniece (Conservatives), Finance Minister Janis Reirs (New Unity) and Egils Baldzens, chairman of the Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia, will also participate in the talks.

One of the trade union's demands is balanced workload for teachers. The trade union is not satisfied with the ministry's proposal to balance the workload by 2028.

Another demand is for the government to meet the provisions of the current Education Law in respect to teachers' pay rise.