Japan, Lithuania

EPSU affiliate LTUSE reports that the Lithuanian government has agreed an increase to the national minimum wage next year but it will be the third time that civil servants have missed out on an increase. The minimum monthly wage will increase to 600 LTL (173,77 euros) next July. This will be the third increase since 2003 but none of these increases have applied to state workers whose minimum wage is still 430 LTL (124,54 euros) a month, this is less than a third of national average earnings in Lithuania which are 1,331,50 LTL a month (385,63 euros).

Lithuanian trade unions rallied together on 10 November to protest against low wages and long working hours. The three EPSU affiliates received a very encouraging turn out, and also were endorsed by numerous messages of support from fellow national unions and international trade union federations. They called on the Lithuanian Government to recognise that as part of the package of being a successful member of the European Union, they needed to enact policy that would bring the country into line with the living standards in other parts of the EU. In particular the Unions demanded that as a

Pressure from EPSU affiliate, the Lithuanian Trade Unions of State Employees, has led to a new law implementing an increase in the base salary from 442 litas (€128) to 490 litas (€142). This is an increase of just under 11%.

EPSU affiliates in Lithuania are mobilizing for a demonstration on 10 December with a series of key demands to put to the government. These include: increases to minimum wage and basic salaries of public sector workers, job creation proposals, a shift towards progressive taxation, to ensure trade union rights and a budget that tackles unemployment and poverty.