Following a year of legal disputes, the trade union of Vilnius Public Transport (VVT) workers has announced renewed plans for a strike.
According to Algirdas Markevicius, chairman of the VVT trade union, the indefinite strike is planned to start on October 3, as a year-long disagreement with the VVT administration over salaries and working conditions has not been resolved.
“We already know that the strike has been declared legal by the Lithuanian courts and we have to guarantee 50% of the services on each route. Therefore, after the end of the state of emergency across Lithuania, we announce a strike on October 3,” Markevicius said on September 19.
The trade unions decided to go on strike in October last year, but court proceedings prevented it from going ahead. In May, Vilnius Regional Court finally allowed public transport workers to go on strike, while ensuring 50% of the services.
The state of emergency imposed throughout Lithuania has also prevented the strike so far. It was lifted last week.
The trade union says that the strike will take place in the Verkiai, Virsuliskes and Antakalnis transport departments of the VVT. Workers’ representatives have informed the VVT management and the Vilnius City Council.
According to Markevicius, the union and VVT administration have failed to reach an agreement to comply with the agreements reached in the 2018 collective agreement, which include a methodology for calculating pay.
“We see that workers’ rights continue to be systematically violated, and when the union was unable to strike, the company unilaterally terminated the 2018 collective agreement and introduced atypical forms of work, which the workers opposed. The majority of the workers, over 1,000, refused to sign new contracts because of these atypical forms of work,” said Markevicius.
For its part, the company has said it is consistently raising wages and improving conditions for workers. It has also accused the union of intransigence. (LRT/Business World Magazine)