Asociacijų laisvė valstybės tarnyboje : norai ir galimybės

LTTarptautiniai darbo standartai vienareikšmiškai pripažįsta, kad darbuotojų asociacijų laisvė ir teisė į kolektyvines derybas yra darbo santykių pagrindas. Kyla klausimas, ar valstybės tarnautojai, turintys specifinį darbuotojo statusą, taip pat gali turėti ir turi absoliutinę asociacijų laisvę ir teisę į kolektyvines derybas? Šiame straipsnyje siekiant atsakyti į minėtą klausimą analizuojama valstybės tarnautojų asociacijų laisvės įgyvendinimo teisinė ir praktinė situacija Lietuvoje, jos ir tarptautinių darbo standartų atitikimas, galimos šių teisių raidos perspektyvos. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Asociacija; Asociacijų laisvės principas; Darbo ginčas; Kolektyvinės derybos; Valstybės tarnautojas; Valstybės tarnyba; Association; Civil servant; Civil service; Collective bargaining; The principle of freedom of association; Work dispute.

ENThe present article discusses the main questions related with the realization of the principle of freedom of association in the Lithuanian civil service: the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining and concluding collective agreements (especially on the branch level), and the right to strike. The main principle in the field of labour relations is the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Can this principle be fully realized in the civil service? According to the relevant Lithuanian legal acts, civil servants do not have any limitations on the right to organize. There is a specific provision concerning the freedom of association as regards the police service. The main problem with collective bargaining in the civil service is connected with special working requirements for public servants. The salary of public servants depends on the possibilities of the State budget. In Lithuania the main problems are related with collective bargaining for public servants' salaries. This question is detailed by the Law on Civil Service and parties (public servants and employer) are not entitled to bargain. Another problem is to identify the employer as a party to collective agreement. Now it is clear that at enterprise level, the employer is a State institution. Speaking about the branch level, it is not legally clear who can bargain for a branch collective agreement in public service on behalf of the employer. Central state institutions, ministries, departments and others are not employers' organizations. So, central state institutions can not bargain for a branch collective agreement.According the Article 51 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, in defending their economic and social interests, employees have the right to strike, but the limitations of this right and the conditions and procedure for its implementation are established by law. The Law on Civil Service establishes the civil servants' right to strike with the exception for the civil servants who occupy the post of the head of a department in a state or municipal institution or agency or any other senior post, and statutory civil servants. But the legislator has put quite a strong focus on the right to strike and its exercising in Lithuania, but in practice, strikes almost never take place. The article discusses all the above-mentioned questions in relation with the relevant international and European legal documents. A special attention is given to ILO Convention No 87, Convention No 98, Convention No 154, which have been ratified by the Lithuanian Parliament, also Convention No 151 on public service which has not been ratified yet.