The Medical Union Expressed No Confidence in the Minister of Health 0 13

The union will decide on further actions at the next council meeting on December 16. According to Keris, preparatory work is still ongoing: it may be necessary to conduct surveys and polls, as well as to determine possible scenarios for further actions.

The union will closely monitor the progress of the state budget project in the Saeima. Keris explained that if the budget is not adopted and the government falls, there will be one course of action, while if the cabinet continues to operate, there will be another. Thus, the development of events will also influence the union's further steps.

"Currently, there is still a lack of information, but I believe that by mid-December everything will become clear," he noted.

Keris confirmed that the possibility of protests is not ruled out, emphasizing that expressing no confidence is just one of the first steps.

It was previously reported that the union demands an increase in the average salary for medical staff by 13.5% starting from January 1, 2026, and for non-medical staff in healthcare institutions by 120 euros. This will require an additional 133 million euros from the state budget.

According to LPRZSU, neither this year nor in 2026 does the government plan to raise salaries for healthcare workers. This, in the union's opinion, threatens to accelerate the outflow of specialists from the public sector in conditions where the staff shortage is already critical.

As the union explains, at the first meeting of the reconciliation commission, it called on the Ministry of Health to submit a corresponding request for additional funding for the sector to the Cabinet of Ministers and proposed to postpone further negotiations until a response from the government is received.

At the second meeting of the commission, the Ministry of Health stated that it does not intend to submit such a request. Instead, the ministry proposed to submit a joint request with LPRZSU for salary increases only when forming the budget for 2027 (in 2026) — and on the condition that the government does not prohibit such an initiative.

The union could not agree to this proposal, so no agreement was reached between the parties. Accordingly, the work of the reconciliation commission, initiated within the framework of a collective dispute of interests, ended without results.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health stated that it recognizes the seriousness of the staffing situation in healthcare, especially the shortage of nurses, and acknowledges that increasing wages is an important factor in retaining and attracting specialists to provide state medical services. The ministry advocates for "targeted and systematic strengthening of human resources in accordance with the Human Resources Development Strategy for Healthcare for 2025–2029, as well as for regular dialogue with the union and professional organizations in the sector."

The Ministry of Health reminded that in 2023 a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with LPRZSU to strengthen staffing in the sector, and starting from January 1, 2024, a salary increase was ensured.

Health Minister Khosam Abu Meri noted that there are currently no funds in the budget to meet the union's demands.

For 2025, the healthcare budget includes an additional 34.5 million euros, with the majority of these funds directed towards improving the maternal and child health care system.

According to LPRZSU, the government has formed a draft state budget for 2026 that will reduce the country's competitiveness, harm the sustainable development of Latvia, and undermine social justice.

The union believes that the existing draft state budget should not be approved.