Public service campaign gets off the ground in Lithuan ia
16/06/2011
Lithuan ian tran sport workers have launched a campaign to secure bran ch agreements for public tran sport services. The campaign is part of a wider global union programme to defend public services.
The Lithuan ian Tran sport Workers’ Federation (LTWF), backed by the Forum of Tran sport Trade Unions in Lithuan ia began a series of actions on 8 June; the actions will continue daily until 22 June. They include pickets at the government buildings in Vilnius an d rallies along the main business street, stopping at the ministries of tran sport an d justice. Unionists from other Lithuan ian cities an d from all tran sport sectors are supporting the events.
The workers are deman ding that public tran sport employers reach agreements with unions that will increase minimum wages, index pay in line with inflation an d retain the existing pension age, rather than raise it.
The action in Lithuan ia takes place in the run up to a joint global union initiative to promote quality public services. As part of the initiative, affiliated unions will participate in an action day on 23 June under the slogan “promote public tran sport”.
LTWF chairperson Jonas Petraska states: “There are no bran ch collective agreements in Lithuan ia. In our opinion, this is oppressive because working conditions are defined one-sidedly - be it by an employer, a judge or a prime minister. The workers can not defend their rights, strikes are practically ban ned as the strike procedure is too complicated to follow an d the percentage required to provide a minimum service is making strikes senseless. That’s why we decided to organ ise our action in Vilnius within the framework of the quality public services campaign to show our determination to fight for the rights of tran sport workers.”
For more information about the action day visit: http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/QPSActionDay2011.cfm
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