Lithuania

EPSU and industriAll Europe have sent a joint letter of protest to bosses at the Achema chemicals plant in Lithuania. They have called on the management to end anti-union activity and return to the negotiating table to resolve a dispute over pay and a new collective agreement. The local union, part of the LPPSF union affiliated to both EPSU and industriAll, took strike action in February – the first private sector strike in Lithuania for 30 years – but had to suspend the action when the government declared a state of emergency because of the war in Ukraine.

EPSU has sent solidarity greetings to its affiliate, the Industrial workers federation of Lithuania, which began an indefinite strike in the fertilizers and industrial chemicals company Achema on 8 February. This is thought to be the first strike in the country in the private sector in 30 years and the union reports that the 600 strikers have been put under considerable pressure by the company. The union is demanding an end to labour rights violations, a collective agreement, pay increase, and the creation of a climate of dialogue and information and consultation.

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

Trade unions have negotiated improvements for workers in social services and public services. The new collective agreement in social services will see minimum monthly pay increased significantly from €642 to €730 while working hours will be cut by one hour a week. Trade union members covered by the agreement will get an extra day’s leave after 10 years’ service. Meanwhile, across public services there will be a 2.2% increase in the basis salary on which specific salary amounts are calculated. Trade union members covered by the collective agreements will get two additional days’ leave for

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