Blaziene, Inga
Social partners discuss how to raise minimum wage
28 April 2011
Between 2004–2008, the minimum monthly wage was increased by almost 80% in
Lithuania – from LTL 450 (€130) up to LTL 800 (€232). However, the last
increase was in January 2008. Though trade unions would occasionally suggest
an increase, the social partners were not prepared to begin negotiations
during the economic crisis.
Employers and government promote incentives to work
10 Februar 2011
The global economic and financial crisis, which took effect in Lithuania at
the end of 2008, has hit the labour market severely.
Social partners discuss renewal of national agreement
27 Januar 2011
The national agreement was signed on 28 October 2009 (*LT0911019I* [1])
between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (LRV [2]) and the
following social partners:
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/national-agreement-to-combat-economic-downturn-finally-signed
[2] http://www.lrv.lt/
Trade unions plan new protest meetings in late November
22 November 2010
On 29 September, in solidarity with European trade unions, the country’s
trade unions – the Lithuania Trade Union Confederation (LPSK [1]), the
Lithuanian Labour Federation (LDF [2]) and the Lithuanian Trade Union
‘Solidarumas’ (LPS ‘Solidarumas’ [3]), together with the Lithuanian
Journalists’ Union (LŽS [4]) and the Lithuanian Association for the
Elderly (LPZA (74Kb PDF) [5]) – planned to hold a meeting near the
headquarters of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (LRV [6]) in
Vilnius.
[1] http://www.lpsk.lt/
[2] http://www.ldf.lt/index.php?cid=26
[3] http://www.lps.lt/
[4] http://www.lzs.lt/
[5] http://www.monitoringris.org/documents/ngos_nat/Bociai-LPZA-EN.pdf
[6] http://www.lrv.lt
Remuneration of public sector employees
09 September 2010
In 2009, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (SADM [1]) asked the
Institute of Labour and Social Research (DSTI [2]) in Vilnius to carry out a
comparative analysis of the systems of remuneration for public sector
employees in Lithuania. (The full version of the report is available in
Lithuanian from SADM only on special request. A summary of the report,
/Lietuvos valstybinio sektoriaus darbuotojų darbo apmokėjimo sistemų
palyginamoji analizė/, in Lithuanian is available from the SADM website
[3].) The research involved:
[1] http://www.socmin.lt
[2] http://www.dsti.lt
[3] http://www.socmin.lt/index.php?1606775163
Social partners seek ways out of difficult situation in education sector
16 August 2010
The continuing economic crisis in Lithuania and the resulting problems in the
public sector (including cutting of funding to the sector, wage cuts and job
losses) have hit the country’s educational system hard. The education
sector’s share in the overall public budget continues to decrease, along
with the share of funds for education in the country’s gross domestic
product (GDP). The situation in the sector has been made worse by an ongoing
education reform programme that has lasted several years, and by demographic
changes in the country.
Further expansion of national Tripartite Council
30 Juni 2010
The Tripartite Council of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos
Trišalė taryba, LRTT [1]) – the main national-level tripartite social
dialogue institution in the country – has been constantly expanding during
recent years. As far back as 2006, the social partners considered extending
the scope of activities of the LRTT by including more representatives of
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (*LT0607039I* [2]). This idea was
partially implemented in 2009 when, by decision of the social partners, the
number of LRTT members was increased from 15 to 21 persons by including new
representatives of employer and employee organisations and of the ministries
(*LT0909019I* [3]). In 2008, in order to strengthen the role of the LRTT in
making important social and economic policy decisions in the country, the
social partners initiated discussions to address these issues at the
Parliament (Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas, LRS [4]) and Government of the
Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybė, LRV [5])
(*LT0809029I* [6]).
[1] http://www.lrtt.lt/
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/call-for-representation-of-civil-society-in-tripartite-discussions
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/membership-of-national-tripartite-council-boosted
[4] http://www.lrs.lt/
[5] http://www.lrv.lt
[6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/social-partners-in-favour-of-enhanced-role-for-social-dialogue
Construction of sectoral bipartite dialogue underway
03 Mai 2010
In Lithuania, sectoral social dialogue [1] has been traditionally
underdeveloped: instead, national-level tripartite and company-level social
dialogue has been prevailing, as is the case in many other of the new Member
States that joined the European Union in 2004 and 2007. However, the
situation seems to be gradually changing in recent years, with initiatives
being taken to set up bilateral councils or commissions in various sectors of
economic activity.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/social-dialogue
New national agreement attracts widespread criticism
16 Februar 2010
After three months of negotiations, on 28 October 2009, Lithuania’s Prime
Minister, Andrius Kubilius, and some of the peak social partner organisations
signed a new national agreement. The accord confirms the commitment of its
signatories to reduce social benefits, increase social insurance
contributions, reduce profit tax and not to amend laws regulating labour
relations without the consent of the Tripartite Council of the Republic of
Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos trišalė taryba, LRTT [1]). The national
agreement was signed by 12 business and public organisations, including trade
unions, employer organisations and business associations (*LT0911019I* [2]).
However, organisations representing disabled people, along with six trade
unions, the Lithuanian Association of Older People and the National Assembly
of Active Mothers refused to sign the agreement.
[1] http://www.lrtt.lt/
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/national-agreement-to-combat-economic-downturn-finally-signed
National agreement to combat economic downturn finally signed
22 Dezember 2009
After several months of negotiations, the government of the Republic of
Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybė, LRV [1]) and the social partners
– the national peak trade union and employer organisations – finally
signed a national agreement providing for measures to combat the recession on
28 October 2009.
[1] http://www.lrv.lt