The Institute of Works Councils: Specific Theoretical and Practical Features. The Case of Lithuania

• Authors: Inga Blažienė , Daiva Petrylaitė

Abstracts

EN

The article presents a critical analysis of one of the aspects of collective labour relations, mainly employee representation at the company level via works councils. The emergence of the institute of works councils in Lithuania was determined by general Euro-integration processes and the need to develop and promote social dialogue. As we know, after the restoration of independence in Lithuania employee representation at the company level by trade unions was very poor. Therefore, with the view to taking over the tradition of collective labour relations prevailing in Western Europe and promoting the process of collective bargaining and collective agreements, a special law was adopted in Lithuania in 2004 to provide for the establishment and functioning of an alternative employee representation body, works councils. This article aims to reveal, by means of various research methods, the content of EU and national legal norms governing the status of works councils and to show, based on various surveys conducted in the country, the current realistic situation of employee representation in Lithuania.

Keywords

EN

employee representation; works councils; trade unions; labour relations; social partnership

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Issues of Business and Law
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 2
• Pages: 85-94

Contributors

author

Inga Blažienė

• Faculty of Business Management, Lithuanian Social Research Centre, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Saulėtekio, Rinktinės 48A, LT-09318 Vilnius, Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Daiva Petrylaitė

• International Business School, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Ave. 22, LT-10225 Vilnius, Lithuania

References

• Directive 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community.OJ L80, 23.3.2002, p. 29.
• Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania.Official Gazette, 2002, No. 64-2569.
• Law on Trade Unions of the Republic of Lithuania.Official Gazette, 1991, No. 34-933.
• Law on Works Councils of the Republic of Lithuania.Official Gazette, 2004, No. 164-5972.
• Analysis on the Establishment and Perspectives for Development of Works Councils. (2006). Vilnius: Institute of Labour and Social Research.
• Bennett, J. T.; Kaufman, B. E. (2007).What do unions do? A twenty-year perspective.New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 653.
• Blažienė, I. (2004, October).Law on works councils adopted.(European Industrial Relations Observatory). Retrieved April 21, 2010, fromhttp://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2004/11/inbrief/lt0411101n.htm
• Blažienė, I. (2009. September).The impact of the information and consultation Directive.(European Industrial Relations Observatory). Retrieved April 21, 2010, fromhttp://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0710029s/lt0710029q.htm
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• Petrylaitė, D.; Davulis, T.; Petrylaitė, V. (2008).Europos Sąjungos teisės aktų įgyvendinimas Lietuvos darbo teisėje[Implementation of the Legistation of European Union in the Lithuanian Labour Law]. Vilnius: Register centre. p. 492. (In Lithuanian)
• Petrylaitė, D. (2007). Rady pracowników jako podmiot reprezentujący pracowników w litewskim prawie pracy i w praktyce [Works Councils as Workers? Representative in the Lithuanian Labour Law and Practise].Studia Zakresu PrawaPpracy i Polityki Społecznej, Rocznik Uniwersytetu Jagielloński, 91-105. (In Polish)
• Petrylaitė, D. (2008). Kolektyvinės teisėsaugos pareigūnų teisės: asociacijų laisvė ir jos įgyvendinimas [Collective Rights of Public Servants': Freedom of Associations and its Implementation].Current Issues of Business and Law, 2, 94-108. (In Lithuanian)
• Research on the Possibilities for Development of the Activities of Works Councils on Sectoral, Regional and National Levels. (2008). Vilnius: Institute of Labour and Social Research.
• Rutherford, M. (Ed.) (1998).The Economic Mind in America: Essays in the History of American Economics.London and New York: Routledge. p. 333.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10088-010-0008-7