Union Rights, Health, Lithuania
Unions welcome President's veto of Labour Code
(July 2016) Trade unions have welcomed the decision by President Dalia Grybauskaitė to veto the draft Labour Code. She said that the Code fails to provide adequate protections for workers and she has sent it back to Parliament with 22 suggested amendments. The unions have been campaigning against the Code since last autumn, warning of the impact of measures that would relax rules on working time and make it easier for employers to sack workers. Read more at Baltic Times (EN) and EPSU (EN).
Unions continue campaign against Labour Code
(September 2016) Trade unions are moblising on 10 September in their continuing campaign against the proposed new Labour Code. The President blocked the code over the summer and EPSU has sent a message of protest to the Lithuanian government arguing that the Code will do nothing for the economy and only create more precarious working conditions, particularly for young workers. Read more at LPPFS (LT).
Unions lose fight to block labour code
(September 2016) Despite the long-running trade union campaign against the labour code and the temporary block put on it by the President, the parliament passed the legislation on 14 September with the government claiming that more flexible labour market rules are needed to boost employment. The code will reduce holiday entitlement, allow more flexility in fixed-term contracts, make it easier to dismiss workers and relaxes limites on overtime and working time.
Unions continue to push for labour code changes
(May 2017) The new labour code is set to be implemented in July although trade unions want it deferred to January 2018 with further amendments in line with the proposals of the President. The code has been discussed in the Tripartite Council but it was unable to find consensus on many issues. President Dalia Grybauskaite has been a consistent critic of the amended code and argues that if adopted in its current form then it would have to be amended immediately to provide better protection for workers' and trade union rights.
ETUI update on labour law developments in Lithuania
(May 2017) The revised labour code has been a major issue of debate in Lithuania for the last three years. The ETUI research organisation has just published a an update on this and other labour market, industral relations and pensions developments in the country. This is part of the ETUI's Reform Watch website covering all EU Member States.
Hospital social partners - "A sound mind in a sound body - taking care of those who take care of us"
Social Partner’s Conference on Occupational Safety and Health focusing on prevention and reduction of MSD and PSRS@W - A sound mind in a sound body - Taking care of those who take care of us
Respect for trade union rights, collective bargaining and social dialogue part of our democratic values – say North East European constituency unions
The EPSU affiliates of North East Europe expressed their concerns about developments in the region in the online meeting of the North East European constituency on 3 March. They received information about the situation in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine.
Ground-breaking judgement against union-busting
The LPPSF industry trade union federation is celebrating a major legal victory with the conviction of an employer for pressurising workers to leave the trade union. This is a first for Lithuania. Many earlier attempts to bring employers to book have failed for lack of evidence. This time there was an audio recording of a manager threatening a trade union member with dismissal if she didn’t leave the union. The case involved the Transachema company where a trade union was established in 2018 and 80% of workers became members. The union began collective bargaining but a year of delays by the