Teaches salaries halved

  • 2009-06-17
  • TBT staff
RIGA- Therecently approved budget amendments for 2009 have reduced all teachers'salaries by half as of Sept. 1. The teachers will be receiving the bare minimumsubsistence amount, 172 lats per month.

The current gross monthly salary for teachers is 345 lats per month.

 Teachers hadpreviously stated that should the 50 percent reduction amendments be passed,instead of the originally agreed 20 percent, teachers would cease grading examscurrently taking place.

In order not to exceed the allocated budget, more dramatic cuts will have tobe introduced in schools in the last four months of 2009. In other state-fundedinstitutions salaries will be curbed already sooner, with the budget amendmentsbecoming effective July 1.

 Earmarked subsidies for teachers' salaries will reduce by a total of 95million lats.