Pre-election pacts between unions and political parties

Two of the biggest trade union organisations in Lithuania signed agreements with the two main political parties before the parliamentary elections on 14 October 2012. The Social Democratic Party signed an agreement with the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, while the Conservative Homeland Union agreed a deal with the Christian trade union the Lithuanian Labour Federation. They pledged to cooperate on the main issues and give their support to the parties during the elections.

Collaboration between unions and political parties

There is a history of formal cooperation agreements being made between Lithuania’s political parties and trade union confederations.

On 21 October 2006, a meeting of the councils of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK) and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) was held to approve a joint action plan. On 16 July 2008, the LSDP and the LPSK signed a resolution to extend cooperation and agreed an action plan for 2008–2011. The most recent cooperation agreement between the LSDP and LPSK was signed on 25 August 2012 in preparation for the autumn parliamentary elections.

In October 2008, the Christian trade union organisation Lithuanian Labour Federation (LDF), and the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) signed a cooperation agreement. In October 2012, Eugenija Šniutienė, Chair of the LDF, and TS-LKD leader Andrius Kubilius agreed a similar deal.

Key points of the LSDP-LPSK agreement

The agreement between the LSDP and the LPSK included, among other things, mutual commitments to:

• the growth of employees’ standards of living in proportion to the country’s economic growth;

• a reduction in economic and social exclusion;

• the introduction of progressive taxes;

• the statutory regulation of a minimum monthly wage, linking it to GDP, inflation and average wages;

• the amendment of labour law exclusively on the agreement of the social partners;

• the liberalisation of labour dispute procedures (including the initiation of strikes);

• better protection for workers in cases of unemployment;

• giving the State Labour Inspectorate (VDI) more powers and resources;

• the signing of collective agreements in the public sector;

• regular meetings between the signatories to discuss progress in complying with the provisions of this agreement.

It is worth noting that Artūras Černiauskas, Chair of the LPSK union, and Romualdas Nemanius, a member of the board and council of the LPSK, appeared on the final list of candidates of the LSDP for the 2012 parliamentary elections.

Key points of the LDF-TS-LKD agreement

The LDF and the TS-LKD’s cooperation agreement stressed that the union and the party ‘acknowledged the similarity of their goals and activity strategies’. They also said that they were:

...taking into consideration that after the 2012 parliamentary elections, it will be necessary to find a form of optimal and mutually beneficial future cooperation that would contribute to the effective development of social dialogue based on cooperation and mutual agreement between the social partners...

In their deal they agreed:

• to effectively support each other’s efforts in implementing the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuania’s international commitments;

• to cooperate to improve Lithuania’s labour system and legislation;

Following the agreement, the TS-LKD committed itself to:

• the support and promotion of collective bargaining;

• making a contribution to the initiation of legal acts or amendments to legislation covering financial support to trade unions from the State budget;

• contributing to and actively sharing in the development of social dialogue.

The LDF, in turn, committed itself to:

• support TS-LKD’s candidates during the parliamentary elections;

• present the provisions of the party’s programme and candidates to its members;

• provide consultations to the party on labour law and social policy issues.

Election outcome

In the October elections, the LSDP took 38 of the 141 seats, overtaking the ruling TS-LKD which won 33 seats. The Labour Party (DP) won 29 seats, and was expected to form a coalition with the LSDP.

However, the election results were complicated after prosecutors and election officials accused DP party leaders of buying votes, and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said that the DP should not be part of the next government

Eventually, on 22 November 2012, Lithuania’s parliament approved a coalition government led by LSDP Leader Algirdas Butkevicius, and including the DP, the Order and Justice party (TT) and the Lithuanian Polish Election Action (AWPL).

Inga Blažiene, Institute of Labour and Social Research