Latvian LGBT activists invited to the Presidential office to discuss Labour Law
20/06/2006
Submitted by
Mozaika
Today the advisers of Vaira Viķe-Freiberga, the President of Latvia will meet representatives of the Latvian Ministries, human rights organisation and the Alliance of LGBT People and their friends ‘Mozaika to discuss the Latvian Parliament’s vote last Friday to delete sexual orientation from the anti-discrimination article of the country’s Labour Law. The President of Latvia has a right not to sign the decision of the Parliament into a law within 10 days since the vote and send it back to the Parliament.
Last Thursday the Latvian Parliament voted against an amendment to include sexual orientation in the Article 7 of the Latvian Labour Law which bans discrimination on the grounds of various characteristics but not sexual orientation. Latvia had to ban sexual orientation in employment since 1 May 2004, when she joined the European Union. Latvia was under obligation to transpose and implement the requirement of the EU 200/78/EC directive on equal treatment in employment which specifically requires the EU member states to ban sexual orientation in employment. For two years Latvia ignored this requirement and the last week it provoke outrage not only in Latvia but across Europe.
Various Latvian officials including the Latvian Foreign Minister, the Latvian national Human Rights Office’ chief of Anti-discrimination Unit, the Latvian Ministry of welfare as well as various Latvian NGOs and LGBT organisations condemned the vote and the parliamentary debate which contained open homophobic statements and incitement to hatred.
Aigars Kalvitis, the Prime Minister of Latvia, came out with various statements condemning the homophobic debate and the deletion of sexual orientation from the Labour Law last Thursday. He said that ’each politician knows that human rights must be observed and the people cannot be discriminated against because of their differences’. He joined those officials and NGOs calling upon the President of Latvia not to sign the amendment into a law and sent it back to the Parliament.
Latvia is under a threat of so-called infringement procedure by the European Commission, Latvia also might end up with considerable financial penalties to pay for not implementing the directive.
Last Thursday the Latvian Parliament voted against an amendment to include sexual orientation in the Article 7 of the Latvian Labour Law which bans discrimination on the grounds of various characteristics but not sexual orientation. Latvia had to ban sexual orientation in employment since 1 May 2004, when she joined the European Union. Latvia was under obligation to transpose and implement the requirement of the EU 200/78/EC directive on equal treatment in employment which specifically requires the EU member states to ban sexual orientation in employment. For two years Latvia ignored this requirement and the last week it provoke outrage not only in Latvia but across Europe.
Various Latvian officials including the Latvian Foreign Minister, the Latvian national Human Rights Office’ chief of Anti-discrimination Unit, the Latvian Ministry of welfare as well as various Latvian NGOs and LGBT organisations condemned the vote and the parliamentary debate which contained open homophobic statements and incitement to hatred.
Aigars Kalvitis, the Prime Minister of Latvia, came out with various statements condemning the homophobic debate and the deletion of sexual orientation from the Labour Law last Thursday. He said that ’each politician knows that human rights must be observed and the people cannot be discriminated against because of their differences’. He joined those officials and NGOs calling upon the President of Latvia not to sign the amendment into a law and sent it back to the Parliament.
Latvia is under a threat of so-called infringement procedure by the European Commission, Latvia also might end up with considerable financial penalties to pay for not implementing the directive.
