2024-03-26 13:18:54
LBAS opposes the employers’ proposal to determine that the first day of work incapacity could be unpaid, as it is now, but for the second and third days the employer would pay 60% instead of the previous 75%. For the period from the fourth to the eighth day, the employer would pay 70% instead of the previous 80%, but from the ninth day, the state would pay a sickness allowance of 75% of the salary, instead of 80% from the tenth day, as it is now.
LBAS is categorically against the employers’ plan to reduce the payment of sick leaves, as it is being planned at the expense of employees and their children.
Baldžens pointed out that the changes proposed by employers are based on the fact that it is difficult for Latvia to compete with Estonia, Lithuania and other countries. LBAS estimates that in 2022, due to inflation, the real wages of Latvian residents decreased by 8.2%, while in the first two quarters of 2023, they “recovered by only 1.6%”. The scenario proposed by the employers, whose aim is to be similar to the Estonian sick leave compensation mechanism, would reduce the workers’ income by 97 euros, while not replacing it with the common Estonian health care contribution model, in which employers make a 13% contribution to the National Health Care Fund.
“In Estonia, there is a completely different funding for health care, and it comes directly from the employers. The first three days are not paid, but employers pay for sick leaves from the fourth to the eighth day. In addition, there are no state-paid B leaves in Estonia, they are also paid for by the employer. Estonia has higher labor taxes, higher salaries, but our employers are not competitive. The fault is not in the tax system,” said Baldžens.
The data available to LBAS show that since 2000 tax revenues in Lithuania have increased 12.9 times, in Estonia – 8.9 times, while in Latvia – only 2.7 times. At the same time, incomes from the income of citizens in all Baltic countries have grown much more evenly: in Lithuania – 4.1 times, in Estonia – 5.1 times and in Latvia – 5.3 times.
Baldzens emphasized that implementing the employers’ proposals on sick leaves may worsen public health indicators, increase the spread of infections and chronic diseases. According to him, even now patients with respiratory diseases should see a family doctor on the fourth day, but a person is still capable of infecting others even on the fifth and seventh day.
Līga Bāriņa, deputy chairwoman of the Latvian Health and Social Care Workers’ Union (LVSADA), also emphasized that if a sick person goes to work, he infects those around him both in public transport, in the shop and at work. A sick person is also much less productive at work. According to her, reducing the payment of disability leaves guarantees an increase in the number of sick people and chronic patients.
“It cannot be said unequivocally that people are getting sick less. Chronic illnesses have increased after Covid-19. Those diseases that were in remission worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. If we look at the demand for specialists, the queues are longer than before the Covid-19 pandemic. but illnesses are more serious. Health financing is unfortunately insufficient,” Bāriņa assessed.
Referring to Scandinavia, Estonia and other countries, Baldžens called for a review of social insurance relations. The mentioned countries have proven that if the country is given “normal funding”, existing problems are solved, but if health care is “starved”, then a series of new problems arise.
If the employers advance their proposals, then LBAS will convene an emergency council meeting to decide on further action. Baldzens also does not rule out the possibility of a strike or a protest action, because the reduction of the payment of sick leaves is a general issue affecting the entire industry.
LETA already wrote that, according to LBAS’s calculations, an employee currently receiving the average salary in Latvia, which in 2023 was 1,537 euros before taxes, and being sick for nine days (page A), receives one-third less income, therefore the opinion of certain persons that “being on disability leaves is beneficial” is to be rejected as absolutely unfounded. In the assessment of LBAS, the mutual compromise between employers and ministries reduces it by another 33.11 euros.
At the same time, LBAS points out that the offer envisages a reduction of support for caring for a sick child by 5% or 2.29 euros per day at the average wage, which is 22.9 euros in two weeks. It is sheet B, in Latvia it is paid by the state, and in Estonia – by employers. More than 58% and almost 69% of all incapacity for work leaves in Latvia were issued in the first week and in the second week, for the care of a sick child.
According to the information provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH), in 2023 there were 400 complaints about unreasonably issued incapacity for work sheets, of which only four turned out to be such after the inspection.
LBAS additionally encourages to evaluate what directly affects the high expenses of employers for the payment of sick leaves, for example, whether the risks of the working environment have been evaluated, whether the working conditions have not deteriorated, accidents at work have occurred or the number of occupational diseases has increased.
LBAS also draws attention to the fact that workers often go to work sick.
Likewise, LBAS emphasizes that the employers’ claim that expenses for sick leaves make Latvian companies the most uncompetitive in the Baltic countries is absolutely untrue.
LDDK represents employers’ interests in social dialogue with the state and trade unions. The organization unites 157 members – entrepreneurs, as well as sectoral and regional associations and federations of entrepreneurs.
2024-03-26 13:18:54