Working Life Barometer in the Baltic Countries 2002 (pdf) - mol.fi

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provocative statement more often than in Estonia and Latvia. The work atmosphere
in Lithuania has deteriorated in recent years, relations of trust between
colleagues have weakened, and selfishness has increased. It can be concluded
from these facts that the problems in working life have increased, in
some measure at least. However, there is reason to bear in mind that what is
involved here is the direction of change. In other words, the situation is not
particularly bad in an absolute sense. Although 28 % of the Lithuanian working
people consider that relationships at the workplaces are marked by selfishness,
a noticeably greater percentage (43 %) hold the opposite view; and a significantly
large proportion (29 %) are unable to form an opinion on the matter.
In Latvia, self-centredness at the workplace has decreased in the last few
years; while in Estonia, no significant change has taken place in this aspect,
either. The women in Latvia experienced self-centredness at the workplace a
little more frequently than the men. In Estonia, however, it is not connected
with sector, gender or age.
WAGE EARNERS’ POSSIBILITIES OF EXPRESSING DISSAT-
ISFACTION WITH WORKING CONDITIONS
To conclude the chapter, we will take a look at wage earners' possibilities of
making suggestions on improvement of working conditions at their workplaces.
This subject was not enquired about in the previous barometer, so that
there is no data concerning any change in it. The possibility of influencing the
working conditions, or even of safely expressing any dissatisfaction with
them, plays its part in reflecting the state of the working environment. In a
good environment, if the need arises, a worker has a chance of talking about
problems connected with the working conditions without fear of awkward
consequences.
In all the Baltic countries, a majority of the wage earners felt that it was possible
to make complaints about working conditions at the workplace. There are,
nevertheless, significant differences between the countries. In this respect also,
the situation is substantially better in Estonia and Latvia than in Lithuania.
There would appear to be an especially positive situation in Estonia's private