VILNIUS — The labor union confederation representing the municipal employees of Vilnius threatened a general strike Friday if proposed cutbacks for bus and trolleybus drivers are implemented.

No date has been set for a potential strike yet, which if it did occur would be the first large-scale strike in Lithuania. Despite the painful austerity measures implemented to deal with the effects of the crisis which sent the small country’s economy into a tailspin, the unions have so far responded only with occasional street protests.

The drivers are in the midst of renegotiating their contract with the municipality, and the cash-strapped government says it has less to [private_supervisor]contribute to the transportation budget, whose income is derived from city hall and ticket sales. Even though ticket prices were doubled at the beginning of 2009, the transport department is still operating at a loss after implementing a costly and bungled e-ticket project and maintaining discount ticket prices for seniors and students.

“Ticket prices, they were not increased for a very long time before, and also there was political decision to not increase them. From an economic point of view they should have been increased. It was a political decision,” Gintas Bliuvas, Vilnius Transport director, told Baltic Reports.

“The problem is that the there are some cheaper tickets for old and retired people and we are not receiving compensation … we have a very big debt from the municipality,” Bliuvas said.

To make up for the gap, city hall proposes reducing hours for staff, as the hours of operation for buses and trolleybuses would be shortened, likely ending earlier in the evening.

However the Solidarumas trade union federation, which includes the various municipal labor unions, says workers have already born a sufficient burden of the austerity measures with a round of layoffs last year.

“The mayor of Vilnius is very arrogant … that conservative party, they are doing what they like to do
they have no dialogue with society, no dialogue with partners,” Kristina Krupavičienė, international secretary for Solidarumas told Baltic Reports.

“We need to push and do something because the situation is out of control. If social dialogue will not be created, the trade union will organize some protest … not only trolleybus worker strike, but employees for all companies working for the local municipality,” Krupavičienė said.

Bus drivers are typically paid 2,000 litai (€580) a month after taxes, while trolley bus workers are paid 1,700 litai (€490) on average. Krupavičienė said the cuts would bring wages down about 40 percent.

On Thursday the union also accused the municipality of not sufficiently maintaining the Soviet-era buses and trolleybuses, which city hall rebuked in a subsequent press release.

Negotiations about the cuts will continue next week after the public holidays Monday and Tuesday.
[/private_supervisor] [/private_subscription 1 month]contribute to the transportation budget, whose income is derived from city hall and ticket sales. Even though ticket prices were doubled at the beginning of 2009, the transport department is still operating at a loss after implementing a costly and bungled e-ticket project and maintaining discount ticket prices for seniors and students.

“Ticket prices, they were not increased for a very long time before, and also there was political decision to not increase them. From an economic point of view they should have been increased. It was a political decision,” Gintas Bliuvas, Vilnius Transport director, told Baltic Reports.

“The problem is that the there are some cheaper tickets for old and retired people and we are not receiving compensation … we have a very big debt from the municipality,” Bliuvas said.

To make up for the gap, city hall proposes reducing hours for staff, as the hours of operation for buses and trolleybuses would be shortened, likely ending earlier in the evening.

However the Solidarumas trade union federation, which includes the various municipal labor unions, says workers have already born a sufficient burden of the austerity measures with a round of layoffs last year.

“The mayor of Vilnius is very arrogant … that conservative party, they are doing what they like to do
they have no dialogue with society, no dialogue with partners,” Kristina Krupavičienė, international secretary for Solidarumas told Baltic Reports.

“We need to push and do something because the situation is out of control. If social dialogue will not be created, the trade union will organize some protest … not only trolleybus worker strike, but employees for all companies working for the local municipality,” Krupavičienė said.

Bus drivers are typically paid 2,000 litai (€580) a month after taxes, while trolley bus workers are paid 1,700 litai (€490) on average. Krupavičienė said the cuts would bring wages down about 40 percent.

On Thursday the union also accused the municipality of not sufficiently maintaining the Soviet-era buses and trolleybuses, which city hall rebuked in a subsequent press release.

Negotiations about the cuts will continue next week after the public holidays Monday and Tuesday.[/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]contribute to the transportation budget, whose income is derived from city hall and ticket sales. Even though ticket prices were doubled at the beginning of 2009, the transport department is still operating at a loss after implementing a costly and bungled e-ticket project and maintaining discount ticket prices for seniors and students.

“Ticket prices, they were not increased for a very long time before, and also there was political decision to not increase them. From an economic point of view they should have been increased. It was a political decision,” Gintas Bliuvas, Vilnius Transport director, told Baltic Reports.

“The problem is that the there are some cheaper tickets for old and retired people and we are not receiving compensation … we have a very big debt from the municipality,” Bliuvas said.

To make up for the gap, city hall proposes reducing hours for staff, as the hours of operation for buses and trolleybuses would be shortened, likely ending earlier in the evening.

However the Solidarumas trade union federation, which includes the various municipal labor unions, says workers have already born a sufficient burden of the austerity measures with a round of layoffs last year.

“The mayor of Vilnius is very arrogant … that conservative party, they are doing what they like to do
they have no dialogue with society, no dialogue with partners,” Kristina Krupavičienė, international secretary for Solidarumas told Baltic Reports.

“We need to push and do something because the situation is out of control. If social dialogue will not be created, the trade union will organize some protest … not only trolleybus worker strike, but employees for all companies working for the local municipality,” Krupavičienė said.

Bus drivers are typically paid 2,000 litai (€580) a month after taxes, while trolley bus workers are paid 1,700 litai (€490) on average. Krupavičienė said the cuts would bring wages down about 40 percent.

On Thursday the union also accused the municipality of not sufficiently maintaining the Soviet-era buses and trolleybuses, which city hall rebuked in a subsequent press release.

Negotiations about the cuts will continue next week after the public holidays Monday and Tuesday.[/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]contribute to the transportation budget, whose income is derived from city hall and ticket sales. Even though ticket prices were doubled at the beginning of 2009, the transport department is still operating at a loss after implementing a costly and bungled e-ticket project and maintaining discount ticket prices for seniors and students.

“Ticket prices, they were not increased for a very long time before, and also there was political decision to not increase them. From an economic point of view they should have been increased. It was a political decision,” Gintas Bliuvas, Vilnius Transport director, told Baltic Reports.

“The problem is that the there are some cheaper tickets for old and retired people and we are not receiving compensation … we have a very big debt from the municipality,” Bliuvas said.

To make up for the gap, city hall proposes reducing hours for staff, as the hours of operation for buses and trolleybuses would be shortened, likely ending earlier in the evening.

However the Solidarumas trade union federation, which includes the various municipal labor unions, says workers have already born a sufficient burden of the austerity measures with a round of layoffs last year.

“The mayor of Vilnius is very arrogant … that conservative party, they are doing what they like to do
they have no dialogue with society, no dialogue with partners,” Kristina Krupavičienė, international secretary for Solidarumas told Baltic Reports.

“We need to push and do something because the situation is out of control. If social dialogue will not be created, the trade union will organize some protest … not only trolleybus worker strike, but employees for all companies working for the local municipality,” Krupavičienė said.

Bus drivers are typically paid 2,000 litai (€580) a month after taxes, while trolley bus workers are paid 1,700 litai (€490) on average. Krupavičienė said the cuts would bring wages down about 40 percent.

On Thursday the union also accused the municipality of not sufficiently maintaining the Soviet-era buses and trolleybuses, which city hall rebuked in a subsequent press release.

Negotiations about the cuts will continue next week after the public holidays Monday and Tuesday.[/private_subscription 1 year]

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