Latvia

"Part III - Declaration of Strikes Section 11. (1) The trade union shall make its decision on declaration of a strike at a general meeting of its members organised according to the procedure provided in its rules, at which at least three-fourths of the employee members of the trade union participate. The decision to declare a strike shall be made if three-fourths of the employee members of the respective trade union who are present have voted in favour of it. The results and process of the voting shall be recorded. (2) If it is impossible to organise the general meeting of the respective trade union due to the large number of its members or due to specific organisation of work the decision on declaration of the strike shall be made at a meeting of authorised representatives of the trade union organised according to the procedure provided in its rules, at which at least three-fourths of the authorised representatives of the members of this trade union participate. The decision shall be made if three-fourths of the authorised representatives of the members of the respective trade union who are present have voted in favour of it. The results and process of the voting shall be recorded. (3) If the trade union or the authorised representatives of members of the trade unions referred to in Subsection 2 of this Section (the "authorised representatives of the members of the trade union") shall make a decision on declaration of a strike in the name of all the employees of the respective enterprise (as well as in the name of those employees who are not members of the respective trade union), the trade union or the authorised representatives of members of the trade union shall ensure that the decisions referred to in Subsections two and three of this Section are supported by three-fourths of the employees of the respective enterprise. Such support shall be recorded. Section 12. (1) The employees shall make a decision on declaration of a strike at a general meeting of employees of the enterprise in which at least three fourths of the employees of this enterprise must enterprise. A decision to declare a strike shall be made when three-fourths of the employees of the enterprise present at the meeting have voted in favour of it in a closed vote. The process and the results of the voting shall be recorded. (2) If it is impossible to organise the general meeting of the employees due to the large number of employees of the respective enterprise or due to specific organisation of work the decision on declaration of a strike shall be made at the meeting of the authorised representatives of the employees in which at least three-fourths of the authorised representatives of the employees of such an enterprise participate. The decision shall be made if three-fourths of the authorised representatives of the employees of this enterprise who are present have voted in favour of it. The results and process of the voting shall be recorded. "Section 17. (1) The employer and the strikes committee shall provide that during the strike a minimum quantity of services essential to the public shall be continued in enterprises or joint ventures, organisations and institutions (""essential services"") the discontinuation of which would threaten the security, health, and life of the state, of all of society, of a group of the population or of some individuals. (2) For the purpose of this Act the services essential to society are the following: (i) medical science and first aid services; (ii) public transportation services; (iii) drinking water supplies services; (iv) service for the production and supply of electrical energy and gas; (v) communications services; (vi) air service control and the service supplying meteorological information to the air service control; (vii) services relating to the security of all kinds of transportation; (ix) waste and sewage collection and water purification services; (x) radioactive goods and waste storage, utilisation and control services; (xi) civil protection services. (3) If necessary, not later than three days before commencing a strike, the employer and the strikes committee shall make a written agreement and choose a certain number of employees who would participate in the strike, and of employees who would perform the work referred to in Subsection 1 of this Section during the strike, shall determine the amount of practical work to be carried out by such employees and shall give concrete instructions in this regard. (4) The refusal of an employee to perform the practical work and follow the instructions referred to in Subsection 3 of this Section, the aim of which is to ensure the functioning of services essential to society, or the refusal to do the minimal quantity of work provided for in the employment employment or collective agreement during the strike, shall be considered to be a breach of the work order and the employee concerned shall be liable for such a breach under the law.""