The big ones fear the release of the little ones: if the number of infections increases, there would be no one to work for

Sinkevičius: national facilitation is riskier

Evaluating the government’s proposals to release the conditions for companies not at the municipal level, but at the national level, the director of the Lithuanian Municipal Association (LSA) Mindaugas Sinkevičius says that this step is more risky. Therefore, in his opinion, it would be fairer to carry out an experiment in several municipalities and monitor the situation in them.

“National facilitation is more risky, because when beauty salons, various services and small businesses start operating on a national scale, the risks increase not in four municipalities, but in all of Lithuania.

Such an experiment would make more sense and we would learn more from it. The claim that we will open a hairdresser in Birštonas and everyone from Vilnius and Kaunas will go to Birštonas for a haircut is completely hypothetical, because there is no loss of control over traffic or movement between municipalities. If you do not live in Birštonas and have no real estate there, you will have no reason to go there to get a haircut. The argument that there may be an unexpected influx does not seem well founded to me. (…) I think this is a safe and reserved path. On the other hand, if the municipality says that part of the business will be lost on a national scale, perhaps that week nothing will change anymore ”, said M. Sinkevičius on the program” Delfi Tema “.

According to the interlocutor, the path of the experiment with several municipalities would have been fairer: “We are experimenting in several small municipalities, freeing up social and economic life. We are closely monitoring the situation: if it is changing, morbidity rates are increasing, foci are emerging, how that release affects morbidity rates. If we see that things are getting worse and there is a jump in diseases, then obviously we find that the experiment has failed, even in areas where morbidity is relatively low, we cannot experiment with release because it results in a fiasco and a increase. number of diseases “.

There may be problems with employee testing

If the government decides on Wednesday to publish the conditions for business in Lithuania from next week, it is planned to test employees in companies every week. The head of the LSA says there may be problems here too.

“There will be questions about the intervals in which the tests should be done, naturally, there will be questions about the acquisition of tests. There are even situations not dealt with in the Labor Code (…), what is the basis if something is determined, if the employee has to apply to “Sodra” for incapacity for work or for downtime I don’t know a complicated way.

On the other hand, if the company talks about it, the situation is quite desperate, the company goes with its suggestions on what it could do on its part – from individual tickets, maximum security, number of clients, premises to tests ”, notes.

Unscheduled police inspections in companies, he said, are more effective: “The same as with access to municipalities: the youngest are smart, they use a variety of applications that show if the police are standing if they want to cheat and inflict considerable damages and fines. There are ways to try to avoid the system, plan routes differently, etc. This unscheduled policing, both on the roads and elsewhere, I think is effective. “

Large industrial companies fear layoffs

Laima Dockevičienė, director of the Rietavas Business and Tourism Information Center, points out that some entrepreneurs are still waiting for the release of restrictions, but most are upset, tend to open up, and allow their residents to use services that crave beauty treatments.

Alfredas Jonuška, Director General of the Šiauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, is glad that Šiauliai today does not exceed the average level of morbidity and the situation is the best among the largest cities. However, according to him, not all companies welcome quarantine releases.

“Large industrial companies fear layoffs when a worker leaves the door and comes back, possibly with a coronavirus. We are pleased that large companies are investing heavily in testing, maintenance and prevention, and there are currently no smokestacks there. However, the chimneys are not registered there. Fireplaces are in other places: in medical and educational institutions.

Bought thousands of test tools, ongoing temperature checks. A company checks: out of 250 employees, 19 patients were detected immediately, they were properly quarantined and today they have a great situation. Other companies have expanded the number of shifts to reduce contacts and meetings, and everyone responds to be able to fulfill orders, ”he says.

The interlocutor adds that before the second quarantine, some industrial companies closed and did not operate due to downtime and infections, then there was a great economic shock for the state itself.

“The bigger companies really fear that the same thing will not happen again, because there are obligations towards the buyers, the customers to whom the products will be provided,” says A. Jonuška.

The head of the LSA indicates that there are currently several companies in the furniture industry that operate in the territory of the municipality of Jonava, where threats may arise after the release from quarantine.

“I know that there are currently 30 patients in one of them, several hundred employees in it, the threats arise when they are released, but on the other hand, what is the golden path? Your search will be over time, experiments. Naturally, for some those experiments will work and for others they won’t, ”he replies.

Some employees may refuse to take the test

When asked if there will be any problems with employee testing in companies, the Director General of the Šiauliai Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts considers that: “I think there will be no problems with testing if there is an opportunity to register. for the test. We must all understand that any measure that can proactively help businesses to operate, live and work is, I believe, justified. Of course, the goodwill of companies will also be needed if there is a massive resistance, no one will test or vaccinate by force. “

At that time, a Rietavas commercial representative comments that some employees may refuse to take the test: “They communicate and try to maintain a good close relationship with the staff within the company, they understand that everything goes for the customer. (…) Of course, there will be problems, not everyone wants to try yet, not everyone can be responsible. However, the vast majority that I have interacted with make sure to maintain the requirements to release deals. “

It would be difficult to survive the third shutdown.

Among other things, trade representatives say it will be difficult to survive the third quarantine if the government’s plan fails after all.

“It is a difficult situation, because everything has been happening for years. In financial matters, we are reluctant to say about the situation of companies, but the support measures, especially for small ones, are only for survival, and that is a question of whether it is enough for him. If there were a third quarantine, it would not be really good, because a third stop would also be a huge blow to large companies. For example, Ikea is closing supermarkets in many EU countries and is already a hard blow for them. And if we are already here, then we all understand that it should not be like that, but whether we will all be able to avoid it is really a question, “says A. Jonuška.

“It would be difficult to survive another closure, as some are already in crisis and others have reservations. For example, furniture companies said they have orders, but most of them have a hard time,” says L. Dockevičienė about the situation in Rietavas.