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

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ers. Employer opposition, however, is not a significant reason for the low rate
of employee unionisation in Lithuania, either. We have seen above that the
small workplaces in Lithuania have very few trade union members, but at
those same workplaces there is less opposition from employers than at the larger
workplaces. On the other hand, those working at the small workplaces
were less informed on the matter than those at the larger ones. This indicates
that the matter was not of current interest. Since employees at the small workplaces
do not usually belong to a union, the employers have not needed to take
any stand on the issue at all. It can nevertheless be concluded that the employers
at Lithuania's small workplaces are not, to any significant extent, opposed
in principle to employees' union membership. 3 The low rate of unionisation is
not, in general, due to this.
40%
20%
0%
-20%
-40%
21%
-29%
OPINIONS OF TRADE UNIONS (II)
My co-workers think it is very My employer is against employees
important to be a member belonging to a trade union
of a trade union
16%
-33%
12% 11%
-37%
-32%
19%
-20%
12%
-34%
Latvia Lithuania Estonia Latvia Lithuania Estonia
Totally or somewhat agree
Totally or somewhat disagree
An important reason for the low unionisation rate is constituted partly at least
by the fact that the employees do not feel they get any benefit from belonging
3 Of the wage earners at workplaces in Lithuania with under 10 employees, 13 % stated that their
employer opposed workers' membership of the trade union movement, and 17 % considered that their
employer regarded such membership positively. A great majority (62 %) of the employees at Lithuania's
small workplaces could not express an opinion on the subject, and 8 % said that their employer
took a neutral attitude towards it. Employers' opposition was greatest at large workplaces with over 50
employees. At these, nearly a quarter (23 %) of the workers stated that the employer held a negative
view of workers' unionisation.