The Social and Labor Affairs committee in Latvia's parliament upheld amendments to the labor law banning discrimination based on the sexual orientation of employees, on Sept. 12.
The bill was supported by MPs from the People's Party, the Greens and the Farmers' Union (ZZS), which formed one coalition, as well as the opposition New Era party. Members of Latvia's First Party, which aligns itself with many conservative churches in Latvia, and the opposition left-wing alliance Harmony Center opposed the amendments.
Welfare Ministry representatives present at the committee meeting said that several members of the European Parliament had inquired why Latvia had failed to comply with the European-wide directive against discrimination for over two years. Latvia will have to answer those charged by Oct. 2.
Lawmakers from the People's Party and New Era called on committee members to support the bill banning discrimination of employees on the grounds of sexual orientation as the ban would change nothing essential but would have allowed Latvia to follow an EU directive.
President Vaira Vike-Freiberga had returned an earlier version of the amendment last week. Lawmakers had deleted provisions on discrimination of employees based on their sexual orientation from that version.
