Lithuanian airports union sues management over vacation policy, alleges intimidation tactics

A dispute has escalated to court between the trade union of Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) and the company's management over a controversial order regarding employee vacations. The union argues that the company's directive, which mandates that employees working under a cumulative work time accounting system must take their leave in weekly blocks, contravenes the Labor Code.

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Due to this, we approached the Labor Disputes Commission, which supported our claim and unilaterally decided that the order violates the Labor Code. Additionally, an employee was awarded 100 euros in non-pecuniary damages.

Donatas Čyžius, the chairman of the LTOU trade union, stated that the Labor Disputes Commission supported their claim, ruling that the company's order violated the Labor Code and awarding an employee 100 euros in non-pecuniary damages. Despite this ruling, the company, previously led by Simonas Bartkus, filed a lawsuit against the employee and the union at the Vilnius District Court.

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We thought that if we went the legal route, they would definitely have a legal argument to change that order, but they, perhaps angry or something, appealed the current decision of the Labor Disputes Commission with a lawsuit.

Čyžius expressed surprise at the company's reaction, suggesting that instead of retracting the problematic order, they chose to challenge the commission's decision. The union views this move as a potential Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), designed to financially drain and intimidate employees and their representatives. The union also questions the company's decision to hire an expensive external law firm, Sorainen, when it has its own legal department.

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You can probably understand that this is quite strong pressure on us now, as well as on the employee's representatives, the trade union, because they will probably ask for compensation for the legal costs.