Latvia might face another referendum

RIGA - Latvian Association of Free Trade Unions has decided to begin preparations for staging a referendum against increasing the retirement age if Saeima does not adhere to the previous agreement that the retirement age will be increased only from 2016.

The board of the Free Unions Association yesterday had an extraordinary meeting to repeatedly consider the amendments to the Law on State Pensions.

The association still believes that the retirement age must be increased starting from 2016, as it was previously agreed with the government. Furthermore, the association believes that the increase should not be more than three months per year, so the retirement age would reach 65 by 2028, the association's public relations officer Sanita Lorence told LETA.

Saeima Social and Labor Affairs Committee will begin reviewing the government's amendments to the Law on State Pensions tomorrow, April 18. As reported, the amendments stipulate that the increase in the retirement age will begin already in 2014.

According to the government's plan, retirement age will be increased by three months on January 1 of 2014 and 2015, and starting from 2016 by six months every year, until reaching 65 in 2020.

The minimum insurance record will be raised from 10 to 15 years starting from 2014 and to 20 years starting from 2020.

Representatives from the Welfare Ministry, Finance Ministry, Ombudsman’s Office, Latvian Pensioners' Federation, Latvian Employers' Confederation and Latvian Free Unions' Association have been invited to attend the Saeima committee's meeting tomorrow.