If politicians on Monday, August 17, at the Cooperation Meeting do not decide to continue raising the salaries of university teachers until 2022, the Latvian Trade Union of Educators and Researchers (LIZDA) will hold a picket at the Cabinet of Ministers building on Tuesday – the chairman of the organization Inga Vanaga told the portal “Delfi”.
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The portal “Delphi” has already reported that after the government in June rejected it Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) intends to increase the salaries of academic staff of higher education institutions, the ministry is nevertheless ready to find funding for this EUR 383 777 from the budget allocated to it.
“The Minister for Industry Ilga Šuplinska offered this funding for four months [algu palielināšanai – red.] from the Ministry, but this does not resolve the situation from January. It would not be acceptable for people ‘s salaries to be raised for four months and then abruptly reduced, “Vanaga said.
Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) also previously expressed his opinion on the issue of salaries of university teachers. He advocated a long-term solution, which provides for salary increases in 2021 and 2022 in accordance with previously made decisions.
The range of problems is wide
As Vanaga pointed out to the Delfi portal, the problems in the field of higher education have worsened for years. Salaries vary between academic staff. “The amplitude in which the remuneration for a particular academic position is determined varies up to 1000 euros. According to the data provided by the higher education institutions themselves, for example, the assistant’s tariff rate is between 3.1 and 11.6 euros per hour, but the average income range is from 194 to 1308 euros, “the media informed the day before that Šuplinska (JKP).
However, the principles of formation of workloads of university teachers also need to be reviewed, Vanaga pointed out. “There are universities where, unfortunately, we do not pay for all the work, for scientific work, but it is also due to the fact that not enough basic funding is allocated to science for many years,” she explained.
What will happen if the government does not find a long-term solution? In this case, LIZDA will decide on further actions at its council meeting on Monday, August 18. Organizations do not intend to give up. Its chairman does not rule out the possibility that the protests may continue.
It is unacceptable that politicians for many years allowed to break the law, Vanaga believes. “That’s why they are also politicians, so they also have to be able to find compromises,” explained the chairman of LIZDA.
Nobleman: ‘We are already losing them’
Failure to increase the salaries of university teachers can introduce significant changes in the real learning environment – professionals in the field, whose scientific activity has been evaluated, are often addressed by foreign universities – Delfi clarified in a conversation with LIZDA.
“It must be said that young teachers do not choose to stay at the level of salaries that universities can provide, taking into account the funding that is allocated,” the head of the association pointed out. “Basically, those with more experience and seniority don’t even have to pass that work relay.”
There are often situations when master’s or doctoral students start their careers as an academic lecturer, but when faced with real pay and workload, they choose to work in the private sector, Vanaga explained.
Although the University of Latvia (UL) is not a member of LIZDA, its rector Indrikis Muiznieks points out that the two institutions agree on the issue of university teachers’ salaries. Would LU representatives also participate in the picket? “It is their personal decision, on the part of the administration we are not going to organize any special support, but we also do not place any obstacles,” Muižnieks replied to the portal “Delfi”.
The Rector of the University of Latvia points out: “If we want to ensure the quality of studies, the competitiveness of the university, especially if we are talking about achievements that should be assessed in world rankings, then we must also provide at least slightly comparable [ar ārvalstīs strādājošajiem augstskolu pasniedzējiem – red.] began”.
Do not save at the expense of quality
As for whether the University of Latvia has thought about how to optimize and save funds, then a special commission has been established in the educational institution, which works to find the optimal solutions. “But we must not already optimize at the expense of quality loss. We can say that in bachelor’s programs everything is taught by one or two lecturers, but then it will no longer be a university,” estimated Muižnieks.
The salaries of the academic staff of the University do not consist only of the state budget. According to the rector of the University of Latvia, last year the university paid 46,313,002 euros in salaries, of which the so-called study grant, ie the part that is for studies subsidized by the state budget, was 11,101,432 euros – about 24%.
“Tuition fees for us are in fact the same amount of revenue as state budget funding for studies. Part of both national and international research projects is very important. And there is also a very important structural fund project now, which is not directly related to research, but to the development of various study programs. , with the improvement of management and such things. These are the main additional factors that make up their salary. If we only had to make do with study funding, then, of course, we would not be able to keep teachers either in the quality or in what is needed, ” “Delphi” said the rector of the University of Latvia.
The chairwoman of LIZDA also explained that in addition to the money allocated by the state for the remuneration of lecturers, the university provides part of it itself, for example, by implementing various projects, using structural funds, leasing the institution’s premises, creating cooperation projects with other universities.
LIZDA calls on the government to increase the minimum wage rate for teachers of higher education institutions by 40 euros, ie from 750 euros to 790, starting from September 1.
Already postedthat in mid-June this issue – the salary of university teachers – was postponed to next year’s budget discussions. The Ministry of Education and Science encouraged professors to increase the lowest salary rate by 39 euros, to 1569 euros, associate professors – by 31 euros, up to 1256 euros, docents – by 25 euros, up to 1005 euros, lecturers – by 20 euros, up to 805 euros, and assistants – by 16 euros, up to 641 euros. However, the government decided not to support such an idea, wrote the agency LETA.
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