Working life country profile for Lithuania
This profile describes the key characteristics of working life in Lithuania. It aims to provide the relevant background information on the structures, institutions, actors and relevant regulations regarding working life.
This includes indicators, data and regulatory systems on the following aspects: actors and institutions, collective and individual employment relations, health and well-being, pay, working time, skills and training, and equality and non-discrimination at work. The profiles are systematically updated every two years.
As of 1 July 2017, labour disputes in Lithuania were divided into two categories: (1) labour disputes (whether individual or collective) over rights; and (2) collective labour disputes (CLDs) over interests (before 1 July 2017, labour disputes in Lithuania were grouped into individual labour disputes and CLDs).
According to the Labour Code_, a strike is a suspension of employees’ work organised by a trade union or their organisation in order to resolve a CLD over interests or ensure the employer’s compliance with the decision adopted in the process of dispute resolution. In terms of duration, a strike may be a warning strike, which may not be longer than two hours, or a real strike._
Since 1 July 2017, the right to take a decision to call a strike has been given only to trade unions or trade union organisations; the decision to call a strike at company level requires approval by at least one-fourth of all members of the trade union. Calling a strike in a sector (production, services or professions) requires the approval of the representative body. The employer or employer organisation and its individual members must be given written notice at least three working days before the beginning of a warning strike or at least five working days before the beginning of a real strike. When a strike is declared, only the demands that were heard by the LDC or in the labour arbitration or mediation process may be put forward.
Developments in industrial action, 2012–2021
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Working days lost per 1,000 employees | n.a. | n.a. | 1.6 | n.a. | 33.4 | 0.46 | 26.5 | 1.5 | n.a. | n.a. |
| Number of strikes (warning strikes) | 6 (187) | 0 (0) | 33 (45) | 0 (296) | 242 (0) | 0 (1) | 149 (47) | 0 (2) | n.a. | n.a. |
| Number of employees who participated in strikes (warning strikes) | 121 (5,437) | 0 (0) | 693 (898) | 0 (7,126) | 6,295 (0) | 0 (2,205) | 3,684 (814) | 0 (6,810) | n.a. | n.a. |
| Total working days lost during strikes (warning strikes) | 1,260 (1,820) | 0 (0) | 1,418 (296) | 0 (2,428) | 35,646 (0) | 0 (552) | 31,947 (267) | 0 (1,874) | n.a. | n.a. |
| Duration of strikes (warning strikes) per employee (days) | 10.41 (0.33) | 0 (0) | 2.05 (0.33) | 0 (0.34) | 5.66 (0) | 0 (0.25) | 8.67 (0.33) | 0 (0.28) | n.a. | n.a. |
Note: n.a., not available.
Source: SDA, 2022a.
Collective dispute resolution mechanisms
As previously mentioned, since 1 July 2017 labour disputes in Lithuania have been divided into two categories: (1) labour disputes (whether individual or collective) over rights; and (2) CLDs over interests.
CLDs (and individual labour disputes) over rights are examined by LDCs and the courts. Commercial arbitration tribunals may also deal with labour disputes. The body dealing with CLDs over rights is entitled to impose a fine of up to €3,000 on a party that is in violation of the provisions of labour law or agreements between the parties. According to the new Labour Code, disputes over dismissal and removal from work, and disputes over property and non-property damages, fall within the field of competence of the LDCs.
According to the new Labour Code, CLDs over interests should be in the first instance resolved before a commission for CLDs over interests formed by both parties (a dispute commission). The dispute commission has 10 calendar days to resolve the CLD over interests unless otherwise provided by consensus of the commission. The work of the commission ends with one of the following decisions being adopted by mutual consent:
to pronounce the CLD over interests resolved in the event of entering into a collective agreement or reaching another agreement on the matter of the CLD over interests
to pronounce the CLD over interests unresolved
to resolve the CLD over interests by engaging a mediator
to transfer the CLD over interests to labour arbitration
Individual dispute resolution mechanisms
As stated above, individual labour disputes over rights are examined by LDCs and the courts.
Use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, 2013–2022
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Number of appeals submitted to LDCs | 5,302 | 5,323 | 5,358 | 5,574 | 6,675 | 6,712 | 7,579 | 7,044 | 5,404 | 5,873 |
Source: State Labour Inspectorate, 2023
