Riga- Young mothers staged a protest for increased child support Thursday outside the Latvian parliament building, while doctors went on strike and the government wrestled with next year's budget.

Several dozen young mothers with an assortment of prams, pushchairs and carry-cots gathered outside the Latvian parliament holding banners saying "What can you buy for eight lats a month?" and "While MPs are full of cash, children have nothing!"

Eight lats (14 dollars) is the current monthly allowance paid to mothers of children up to the age of three.

Thursday was also the first day of a two-day strike of doctors and nurses after talks between unions and government broke down Wednesday without agreement, but large-scale demonstrations failed to materialise as torrential rain lashed the Latvian capital. Despite the strike, hospitals are staying open and emergency cover is being provided.

Inside the parliament, lawmakers were debating the Baltic nation's 2009 budget against a background of economic recession. Much of the budget's substance consists of austerity measures which include freezes on social benefits and public sector pay, while large numbers of public servants are being made redundant as part of cost-cutting efforts.

Prime minister Ivars Godmanis said that the harsh measures were necessary and that the government had revised its figures to take into account expected negative GDP growth in 2009, while emphasising that Latvia was not alone in experiencing economic trouble. (dpa)