Teachers' Union Complains to European Commission About Latvia's 2019 Budget

RIGA, March 13 (LETA) - The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) has sent the European Commission a letter, claiming violations of national education laws in Latvia's 2019 budget.

As LETA was told at the trade union, LIZDA has sent the European Commission a letter informing about the situation in relation with Latvia's 2019 budget. The union claims that a number of education and science-related laws have been ignored when drawing up this year's budget.

First of all, the budget ignores the education law provision stipulating that a teachers' monthly pay has to be in line with the government-approved timetable for raising teachers' salaries. Secondly, the budget ignores the higher education law which states that government funding for higher education must reach at least 0.25 percent of GDP and that it has to be gradually raised to 2 percent of GDP. Thirdly, the budget breaches the law on scientific activity which stipulates that the annual funding for science has to reach at least 0.15 percent of GDP and that it has to be gradually raised until it reaches 1 percent of GDP.

The trade union...