Latvia - Health workers picket Government over pay - September 30, 2026

On 29 September, hundreds of health workers gathered outside the Government building in Riga at a picket organised by the union LVSADA, demanding more funding for healthcare and higher pay. The LVSADA leader said the sector can no longer settle for promises and wants decisions backed by real funding. The union demands a pay rise of at least 30% for all healthcare workers. The Health Minister pointed to the large sums going to defence and said hundreds of millions of euros cannot simply be promised without a real source of funding. The Prime Minister acknowledged the need for more money, including for salaries, but said he would not promise funding that the budget cannot cover. If no concrete, funded decisions follow, the union intends to call an extraordinary council meeting to decide on further collective action.

Read on: in Latvian… Read on: in Latvian (2)…

More information: https://www.etui.org/newsletters