Lithuania
EPSU affiliate the LSADPS and eight other medical trade unions organisations have negotiated a new three-year collective agreement that runs from 1 January 2022 and covers workers from the entire health sector, who are members of the trade union organisations involved in the negotiations. This is the first time all trade unions have come together to sign one sectoral collective agreement. A combination of factors mean that wages are set to increase by an average of 10.9% in 2022. There is also a commitment to ensure funding for wage increases to prevent a recurrence of the delay in wage rises during 2021 because lack of funding. The new collective agreement also provides for shorter working hours and longer leave for employees of individual specialties, with health professionals in educational institutions moving to a shorter working week of 36 hours and increased annual leave of 40 working days. The health ministry will develop a methodology for determining the workloads of health professionals as part of a process to ensure wellbeing at work. There will be an increased role for trade unions in relation to negotiations on skills and training.
