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Last year, with the onset of the COVID-19 quarantine and pandemic, the Lithuanian Confederation of Trade Unions (LPSK) began collecting reports from employees on employer abuses at work and violations of workers’ rights. Workers.
According to LPSK President Inga Ruginienė, the confederation receives letters every day and sometimes they are flooded.
“Especially last spring and this fall, when there was downtime uncertainty, there were several hundred letters. <...> We see that employees respond very well to public space. Now that there have been several mobbing scandals lately, we see that the complaints reflect psychological violence, ”I. Ruginienė told tv3.lt.
Employees are intimidated that they will not work anywhere else.
According to I. Ruginienė, different problems arise in different sectors. For example, temporary employment, transport companies ask confederation questions about daily allowances, payment of wages, construction companies (about occupational safety and health requirements, manufacturing companies) about hours Extraordinary not accounted for by work.
“Surprisingly, we have many letters from medical staff about psychological violence. Apparently, all these events in Lithuania made people hang out. The degree to which our medical staff suffer from depression, work with a debilitating burden, suffer from psychological violence is really high, ”I. Ruginienė was asked to tell us why employees often apply.
Here is a complaint that LPSK will request from the State Labor Inspectorate for an investigation.
“We have received such information that the company has employees who work in the region practically six days a week full time, but looking at the analysis of the company, we see that the average salary is 180 euros” on paper. Obviously this is undeclared work.
There are even more stories of employees transporting goods in their cars. In practice, employees are completely exploited and intimidated because it is a small region and if any information is made public, not only will it not be possible to get a job with an employer, but also elsewhere, ”said I. Ruginienė.
She says she understands that it is in regions where workers feel particularly intimidated, as it can be more difficult to find work in smaller municipalities.
“These workers can be understood, because in a small region, that oppression and intimidation has a great impact. Sometimes people themselves are afraid to report a violation because they fear it may be directed against them. <...>.
We see a trend in the regions to be a very sensitive frontier because finding a job is difficult enough for an employer to keep all employees under control. This means that you can pay less, you cannot complain too much, because you are “something like that” immediately, if you see an infraction and talk about it, “said the interlocutor.
Fools for reward
Another issue that affects a large number of employees is compensation. Some are not paid for overtime worked, others do not receive any payment.
“There are a number of reports of unpaid wages and unaccounted for overtime when employees say they work longer hours than prescribed. We had a complaint that the employee was working full time and even worked two Saturdays that month, and he received only 396 euros, which is not even below the minimum wage, even though the job is qualified, ”said I. Ruginienė.
Here also draws the attention of workers to the fact that the minimum wage can only be paid for unskilled work, otherwise it is a violation.
“Unskilled work – work where you don’t need skills, special knowledge, where any of us could do that work – weeding, sweeping the streets, washing the floor. But if the work involves the use of certain skills, you are qualified and not at all. way there may be a minimum wage. If an employee receives that wage, he must already think that something is not right, “warned the president of the LPSK.
You force yourself to leave voluntarily
During the pandemic, as I. Ruginienė says, the number of cases in which employees are forced to resign voluntarily has increased. Employers who refuse to engage in illegal activities also often require it of employers.
“The reasons are several: it is the pandemic itself and, otherwise, the employee is unfavorable.” Employees often write that when they notice certain illegal activities in the company, they signal not only psychological violence but also pressure to leave voluntarily, indicating to the employer that they cannot do so because they already treat him as an employee unfair to the company. “,” Observe too much “,” do not keep the commandments “.
We had a complaint where the staff said that I was forced to do something illegal. But I didn’t agree because I think that’s wrong. And that’s why he received a lot of pressure with the threat of leaving voluntarily, ”recalled I. Ruginienė.
Threat with fines
I. Ruginienė admits that employees who are unaware of their rights or do not know the laws are often manipulated. Remember an example where an employer illegally threatened an employee with a fine.
“The employee writes and says that I am obliged to sign a commitment that, without separate consent, the employer will be able to deduct 1,000 euros if I do not wear special work clothes during work or do not comply with the safety requirements.
This is a completely illegal claim. The employer has many other tools to avoid non-compliance with occupational safety and health requirements, and the employer is responsible for this. But force an employee to sign a consent that will be deducted … Why 1000 more? This is a completely inappropriate request. It’s good that the employee asked us, we consulted him, I hope he didn’t make that mistake, he didn’t sign ”, expected I. Ruginienė.
I. Ruginienė urges employees who receive unclear suggestions or requirements to check everything and ask for help.
Imagine when you are a common employee and a manager invites you into his office, and two or three managers, lawyers sitting together on legal terms and the like, sitting together, you usually get lost because you think you might not. know something, maybe it really is.
We have noticed a trend, especially in regions, where employees tend to trust their employers. However, that trust sometimes shifts to a different angle when the employee is trusted and misled. What employees need to know is that any offer, any statement must be verified by the employee, ”said I. Ruginienė.
Where to go?
I. Ruginienė encourages employees who have suffered from employers to apply to the State Labor Inspectorate and the Labor Disputes Commission.
“I encourage you to write to VDI because they do not have the ability to perform scheduled inspections as often as we would like. But they respond to complaints. If a person complains and still gives details of what a particular inspector should look at, these are the most effective complaints. Then the inspector goes directly to that company and inspects exactly that thing.
There is also a Commission on Labor Disputes, there it is also worthwhile. If you feel that you have been cheated, illegally fired, unpaid wages, unaccounted for hours of work, it is really a very simple procedure to submit a request to the Labor Disputes Commission and order what is legally owned by each employee “, recommended the president of the LSPK.
Most of them complain about employment contracts.
As reported by VDI to the tv3.lt portal, in the first quarter of this year the largest number of complaints and notifications of public interest in the construction sector were investigated. In second place according to the number of complaints investigated – 146 – wholesale and retail trade, vehicle repair. Third – 127 complaints investigated – manufacturing.
Transport and storage (85), other service activities (67), accommodation and food services (54), agriculture, forestry and fishing (50), administrative and support service activities (50), etc.
Interestingly, in the first quarter of this year, the largest number of complaints of this type were investigated in ultra-small companies with up to 9 employees: 487 complaints. 223 complaints were investigated in companies with 10 to 49 employees, 130 complaints were investigated in companies with 50 to 249 people. In companies with 250-499 employees, 43 complaints were investigated, and in companies with 500 and more employees, 66 complaints were investigated.
According to the SLI, complaints were dominated by issues of labor law – 797, the second most important – issues of safety and health at work – 225, and other issues – 12.
The largest number of complaints, 456, related to employment and labor contracts. Second, 104, complaints related to working hours. In the third – 98 – complaints about wages.
Occupational health and safety management (58), workplace equipment (42), internal control of occupational safety and health in the company (40), provisions of the Labor Code (33), labor disputes individual (33), other issues of labor law (30), rest time (25), etc.
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