LBAS Invites MPs to Meeting Where They'll Talk About Overtime Longer Than Overtime Itself
Trade unions and employers continue to fight over whether employees earn twice as much or only one and a half times more than usual during overtime.
LBAS has invited MPs to a meeting on Bruņinieku Street in Riga to discuss controversial amendments to the Labor Law. The meeting is planned from 9 to 11 AM, which, given the topic, will ironically exceed normal working hours.
The dispute revolves around whether overtime pay will be 100% or 50% of regular wages. Employers want 50%, but trade unions demand 100%. As one Liepāja market vendor says: "Everything in our market is fresher than in Riga and half the price, but that doesn't work with wages — there you need full price!"
LBAS has calculated that employees would lose 146.3 million euros in 2026 if overtime pay is only 50%. That's roughly the same amount Riga City Council spends on road repairs that need to be repaired again after a year.
Most interesting is the proposal that employers won't be able to fire union members without union permission. This means trade unions will become the only place in Latvia where colleagues actually defend each other, instead of just saying they do.
The meeting will take place in April, just in time for MPs to observe how the spring sun creates overtime in nature too — days get longer, but the payment for it remains the same.
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.