Lithuania
Key Facts
| Population | 3,003,641 |
|---|---|
| Collective Bargaining Coverage | 15% |
| Proportion of Employees in Unions | 10% |
| Principal Level of Collective Bargaining |
company |
| Workplace Representation |
union – or works council if there is no union |
| Board-level Representation |
no |
| Company Board Structure |
monistic or dualistic (choice) |
Sources: see individual country sections; where a range of figures has been quoted, the lower number has been taken
Trade Unions
Union membership in Lithuania is low – about 9% of all employees. The unions are divided into three main confederations, LPSK, LDF and Solidarumas, divided – historically at least – on ideological grounds. However, the unions are now working together more closely.
more ...Collective Bargaining
There is virtually no collective bargaining other than at company or organisation level, and even here the extent of bargaining is limited. Since 2004 elected works councils have bargaining rights if there are no unions present, but there is no evidence so far that this has increased the coverage of bargaining.
more ...Workplace Representation
Lithuanian legislation now provides for employees at workplace level to be represented by a company-level trade union, by an external union, to which they have transferred their representational rights, or by a works council. Both company-level unions and works councils have almost identical functions, including collective bargaining and information and consultation, and since 2005, works councils can also organise strikes. In practice, most workplaces in Lithuania have neither.
more ...Board-level Representation
There is no employee representation at board level.
more ...European-level Representation
European representatives from Luxembourg are chosen by the employee delegations. In most cases they must be employees, but this is not the case for the members of an SNB for a European Company, where union officials can also be chosen.
more ...Health and Safety Representation
In most companies with at least 50 employees and in some with fewer, employees have the right to elect representatives with health and safety responsibilities to a joint employee/employer health and safety committee. Many of the details of how they work – such as the precise number to be elected or their time-off rights – are left to be agreed between employees and employer in the company or collective agreements.
more ...Financial Participation
Financial employee participation is not widespread in Lithuania. Although the level of employee share ownership was very high when Lithuania gained independence, it declined dramatically in the years following 1995.
more ...