Vilnius public transport drivers threaten with strike

Chairman of the trade union Vilniaus Viešasis Transportas (Vilnius Public Transport) Jonas Dekaminavičius says that a general meeting will take place on Thursday, and there is no other choice but to take industrial action as drivers have not yet received salaries for August while now it is the end of September.

According to the chairman, all the needed procedures to hold a strike may be completed by the end of October. First of all, the industrial action has to be proposed and voted for by members of the union, and the employer may form a conciliation commission.

Director General of Vilnius Viešasis Transportas company Gintaras Nakutis hopes that salaries for August will be paid next week. The director said he understands drivers’ concern but the situation was caused by the financial state of the company, the State Social Insurance Fund and the Tax Inspectorate had frozen the accounts.

According to the director, half of the revenue of the company comes from purchased tickets, while the rest from municipality’s compensations for ticket price reductions. Vilnius transport faces the biggest portion of exemptions on tickets because most students study here. The director says that the Personal Income Tax share allocated to Vilnius is too small.