Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150) - Latvia (Ratification: 1993)

Legislative developments. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the adoption of various amendments to the national legislation, including the adoption and coming into force of the Law on Trade Unions in 2014, a copy of which is attached to the Government’s report.

Article 6 of the Convention. Impact of austerity measures on labour administration. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in reply to its previous request concerning the impact of austerity measures on labour administration, that in order to stabilize and restore the economy, Latvia had to adopt difficult political decisions. According to the Government, the reduction in the amount of unemployment, sickness and maternity/paternity benefits was not only aimed at the reduction of the budget expenditure, but also at enabling the granting of social security benefits to all beneficiaries. The Committee further notes that the Government refers to the adoption of a number of additional employment promotion measures and the slow recovery of the economy since 2011. The Committee requests that the Government continue to provide information on the measures taken as a result of the economic and financial crisis (decisions in relation to the budget allocated to the labour administration services, and in relation to social security benefits, etc.) and their impact on the effective performance of the functions of the labour administration services.

Article 10. Status, conditions of service, material means and financial resources necessary for the effective performance of the staff of the labour administration. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that due to the impact of the crisis on the availability of jobs, the number of persons using the State Employment Agency (SEA) has increased. This has required the introduction of new approaches and methods. In this regard, the Government refers to improvements in the operation of the SEA (including through the use of an electronic unemployment profiling system, the development of new career consultation support methodologies, the introduction of new electronic services for clients, the integration of an electronic labour market information tool in the work of the SEA, among other things). The Government further refers to various training activities of the SEA staff, including the training in relation to the abovementioned new measures and electronic tools.

In this regard, the Committee also notes the Government’s indications in its report that despite an increase from 2010–14 in the wages of staff of the SEA, their average monthly wage (€719 that is, about US$765) is lower than the national average monthly wage (€765 that is, about $813). It notes the Government’s indication that it therefore becomes difficult for the SEA to attract highly qualified personnel. The Committee requests that the Government pursue its efforts to ensure that the conditions of service of the staff of the labour administration are appropriate for the effective performance of their duties (including remuneration commensurate with their responsibilities). It requests that the Government ensure the allocation of appropriate financial resources to this end.