The year 2025 was a time of intensive activity, complex decisions, and responsibility for trade unions. It was a period when the state’s attention increasingly shifted toward strengthening defence, societal resilience, and security, while at the same time the risk grew that social issues would be pushed into the background.

The Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK) consistently upheld a clear position: a sustainable state cannot be built by weakening the social security of workers and other vulnerable groups, by cutting funding for public services, or by shifting the burden onto those who are already living from paycheck to paycheck.

As we step into 2026, we see not only challenges, but also clear directions in which trade unions must move.

State resilience begins with social security

The year 2025 clearly demonstrated that defence and social policy should not be set against one another. A large share of the workers we represent find themselves on the front lines during crises: healthcare professionals, social workers, energy and transport specialists, and internal service officers.

Therefore, in discussions about budget priorities, we must speak not only about plain figures, but consistently raise the fundamental question: how can we ensure the smooth functioning of the state both in everyday life and under extreme conditions? This can only be achieved by focusing on people’s needs—not just the interests of individual groups. Perhaps the coming year will become a turning point in which we finally succeed in doing so.

Defending the interests of public sector employees is not a declaration, but daily effort

One of the biggest challenges of 2025 was defending the interests of public sector employees—both in negotiations on the National Collective Agreement (NCA) and in assessing the draft state budget. Situations in which certain groups of workers were allocated lower funding than expected once again revealed how fragile political commitments to public services can be.

Nevertheless, after difficult negotiations, the signing of the updated NCA for 2026–2028 is an important achievement, ensuring additional guarantees for approximately 70,000 trade union members. At the same time, it is a reminder that any agreement requires continuous monitoring and active implementation. We must be able tofind such sollutions that the commitment to strengthening guarantees for public sector workers is not dependent on political cycles.

Collective agreements are the foundation of a stable labour market

Lithuania’s labour market remains overly dependent on individual agreements, while the coverage of collective agreements is still limited.

In 2025, LPSK member organizations actively worked to expand the application of collective agreements, and this will remain one of the key priorities in 2026.

It is especially important that collective bargaining develops not only at the company level, but also at the branch or sectoral level. Such agreements help avoid a “race to the bottom,” where working conditions are improved only by reducing guarantees and wages.

Narrowing guarantees for private sector workers is not a solution

In 2025, we also witnessed worrying trends, when proposals were initiated in certain segments of the private sector to reduce workers’ guarantees—shortening annual leave or extending working hours, for example for employees in the pharmaceutical or aviation sectors.

LPSK responded to such attempts in a principled manner: we emphasized that sectoral problems cannot be solved by taking the easiest path—deteriorating working conditions. Instead, it is essential to seek people-centred models of work organization and socially responsible solutions, as a sustainable economy cannot be built at the expense of workers.

Therefore, promoting collective bargaining remains firmly on our agenda—experience shows that higher-level agreements serve as a safeguard against unilateral reductions of guarantees.

European law and technological change – a test for social dialogue

Participation in discussions on the transposition of European Union (EU) directives into national legislation became an important part of LPSK’s activities this year—especially regarding the Platform Work Directive and the Pay Transparency Directive. These important documents can lead to real progress in the field of workers’ rights, but only if they are implemented not formally, but in substance.

Moreover, technological change, workplace automation, and artificial intelligence solutions raise new questions about work organization, control, and responsibility. The role of trade unions in this area is to ensure that technologies serve people and do not become a new form of exploitation.

2026: strengthening the organization, engagement, and trust

In 2025, our organization faced not only external but also internal challenges, including changes in the organizational structure. However, this period became an opportunity to reassess priorities, mobilize forces, strengthen mutual trust, and continue our work.

The strength of trade unions directly depends on member engagement and the ability to adapt to change. Membership growth, leadership development, and clear communication are areas that will inevitably become part of the agenda.

These directions are not only a plan for the coming year, but also a long-term ambition: to be an organization that, together with its members, creates a fairer, safer, and more dignified working environment in Lithuania.

The key highlight of 2026 will be the 8th LPSK Congress, to be held on May 8. Organizational work has already begun, and documents are being prepared. This will be not a formal event, but a value-based choice—what kind of LPSK we want to see over the next four years: hopefully that in unison we will make a strong, united, modern organization, oriented toward people and their dignity.

A word of gratitude

As we conclude this year, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who stood together on this challenging but meaningful path.

To our members—you are the heart and strength of the LPSK. Thank you for your trust, patience, and courage. Your engagement, solidarity, determination, and daily work shape the voice of LPSK at all levels—from social dialogue within companies to the representation of workers at the international level.

To our social partners—I thank you for the search for constructive solutions. Although our positions do not always coincide, I highly value the efforts to reach agreement and the understanding that a resilient state and a successful business are impossible without social peace and respect for working people. Only through negotiation, not confrontation, can we create an environment that is just for everyone.

We are entering 2026 united. I wish that the coming year will be a time of mutual understanding, new opportunities, and strengthening our shared value-based backbone.

Warm and peaceful holiday moments to all!

In solidarity,

Dalia Jakutavičė
Acting President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK)