Trade union confederations sign declaration of cooperation

In May 2007, three of the leading Lithuanian trade union confederations signed a declaration of cooperation, which lays down the key goals for collaboration between the confederations. Both standardised interim activities and cooperation in specific fields of action are expected to strengthen the individual trade union organisations and their role in the social and economic life of the country.

On 1 May 2007, three of the leading trade union confederations signed a declaration of cooperation to strengthen the trade union movement. The three confederations involved were the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (Lietuvos profesinių sąjungų konfederacija, LPSK), the Lithuanian Labour Federation (Lietuvos darbo federacija, LDF) and the Lithuanian Trade Union ‘Solidarumas’ (Lietuvos profesinė sąjunga ‘Solidarumas’, LPS ‘Solidarumas’).

Contents of declaration

The declaration stipulates that ‘Lithuanian trade unions, being well aware of globalisation processes and the need to join forces for the representation of employees’ interests, and following the changes of the global trade union movement’, agree that grouping the trade unions in different union confederations harmful risky for the Lithuanian labour movement. The trade union confederations argue that, by acting along separate principles and objectives, Lithuanian trade unions were insufficiently effective in tackling essential member-specific issues and other employees’ concerns; moreover, disagreements among trade unions, which are detrimental to the unions’ activities and image, weakened the trade union movement.

Therefore, the three majority trade union confederations have agreed to:

• establish, along principles of parity, a coordination centre as a national structure for the amalgamation of trade unions’ common interests;

• coordinate actions to jointly support and represent employees’ interests as well as to establish a common public-awareness policy;

• develop, coordinate and implement vocational training programmes;

• coordinate actions and form a unified position in respect of trade union representation in social partnership at national and international levels, as well as at the level of government and executive authorities;

• organise joint campaigns;

• create a positive image of trade unions;

• avoid competition in attracting new members.

Objectives of trade unions

With this declaration, LPSK, LDF and LPS ‘Solidarumas’ seek to promote cooperation between trade unions at national, sectoral, regional and corporate levels; the latter includes enterprise, agency and organisation levels. Furthermore, the confederations aim to coordinate activities of the trade unions in relation to foreign policy and the development of international cooperation.

According to representatives of the three confederations, signing the declaration is a logical step in the process of increasing cooperation between the leading trade unions. The representatives understand that the mere signing of the declaration is not enough to ensure the smooth and coherent operations of trade unions in all fields and at all levels. Promoting cooperation at enterprise level might prove to be extremely difficult: mutual tolerance and striving for cooperation are more characteristic of national and/or sectoral levels; at enterprise level, however, there are often ‘competing’ structures in place that act against one another.

The confederations hope that joint efforts will help them to reach particular social and economic objectives in negotiations with employers and other authorities. A joint trade-union approach is also expected to contribute to the resolution of another issue, the delivery of legal, economic and financial analysis as well as other services to the members of trade unions.

Inga Blažienė, Institute of Labour and Social Research