LITHUANIA

Capital: VilniusOfficial language: LithuanianArea: 65.300 km2Population: 2.979.000Neighboring countries: Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia

Independence:• Announced on 16 February 1918• Restored on 11 March 1990Form of Government: Parliamentary democracyEthnic composition (%):• Lithuanians: 84.2• Poles: 6.6• Russians: 5.8• Belorussians: 1.2• Other: 2.2The total number of nationalities living in Lithuania is 154Religion:Most Lithuanians belong to Roman Catholic Church. There are also Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran, Reformed Church, Eastern Orthodox, Judaism, Islam and other religions.

Lithuania is a small Middle European state at the shore of the Baltic Sea. Covering an area of 65 302 km² it is similar in size to Ireland. Lithuania’s territory extends 373 km from East to West and 276 km from North to South. There are 6129 kilometres from the geographical centre of Lithuania to the equator and 3873 km to the North Pole.Lithuania’s is a flat land indeed. This is most evident as you travel from the eastern to the western part of the country – towards the Baltic Sea. Our highest hill is Aukštójo kalnas rising 293.8 m above the sea level. There are no mountains in Lithuania.More than a half of Lithuania’s land is suitable for agriculture. About one third of our land area is occupied by forests.Lithuania is commonly called the land of rivers and lakes with inland waters making up 4 % of its territory. The total number of rivers and rivulets is 22 200 (the longest river - Nemunas), and the number of lakes is well over 830. The deepest of them is Tauragnas (62.5 m deep).

LITHUANIA

The first settlers of Lithuania arrived in approximately 12, 000 B. C. In 3,000–2,500 B. C., the Indo-European Balts came to live here. Between the 5th and 8th centuries tribal groupings formed in the western territories: Prussians, Yotvingians, Curronians, Zemgalians, Lithuanians and Latgallians. In the 10th c. the pagan Baltic tribes became the target of the missions of the Catholic Europe. In 1009, the name of Lithuania was mentioned for the first time in the written account of the mission of St. Bruno.Lithuanian is the oldest living Indo-European language. It is used just by four million people across the world, including our closest neighbours Poles and Belarusians living on the border with Lithuania, as well as the Lithuanian community in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Australia, Latvia and Russia. Our language belongs to the Baltic language group. Although there are three Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – only two of them speak in languages of the Baltic group, i.e. Lithuanians and Latvians.

SOVIET OCCUPATION AND ANNEXATION OF LITHUANIA

On 15 June 1945, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania and, on 14–18 June, started mass deportations of the Lithuanian population to remote areas of the Soviet Union. Yet we have survived these hardships: we endured occupations, first by the Soviets, then by the Nazi Germany. Many Lithuanians joined partisan groups to fight for Lithuania's independence. The period of partisan fights is one of the most dramatic and tragic events in Lithuania‘s history.

On 23 August 1989, we joined our hands to form a human chain stretching 650 kilometres across Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn to mark the 50th anniversary of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact as a result of which Lithuania lost its independence. The Baltic Way was a symbolic action that separated the Baltic States from the Soviet Union and by which our people expressed their will to be free. We did not have to wait long. On 11 March 1990, the independent State of Lithuania was re-established.

Even under the threat of violence we responded to the Soviet Union's aggression peacefully – without arms, singing songs and with an endless faith in our victory. That is why these events are commonly referred to as the Singing Revolution.

BASKETBALL

It is not incidental that basketball is called the second religion in Lithuania. As you travel within Lithuania, you will notice how many basketball backboards and playing-fields we have, from professional to self-made. That’s why we say that everybody can play basketball here. Lithuania returned to basketball as independant country during 1992 Summer Olympics, held in Barcelona, and immediately won Olympic bronze medals winning against Unified Team (team formed from the former USSR countries, except the Baltic States) at the bronze medal game. The Olympic team almost had no state funding, so the team had to search for financial supporters by themselves in order to play international games. Šarūnas Marčiulionis had experience and contacts in America as he was the first USSR player to sign a contract with an NBA team, so he searched for financial supporters that could finance Lithuania's participation in the 1992 Summer Olympics. The American rock band Grateful Dead decided to help Lithuania. They allowed the use of their band attribute - the Skull Man. So Basketball for Lithuania is a freedom sinonim. That‘s why we love it so much!

TRADITIONS

We have 11 national holidays, which leave offices and bureaus empty of people – Lithuanians like to celebrate. Some of the holidays are celebrated together with the rest of the world: New Year’s Day, Easter, International Labour Day, Christmas. Other holidays are purely Lithuanian : the Independence Day on February 16, the Independence Restoration Day on March 11, Joninės, or Rasos (St. John’s Day) on June 24, the King Mindaugas (our only king) Crowning Day on July 6, Žolinė (stemming from žolynai, which means herbs, as herbs are sanctified on that day; Assumption of Mary Day) on August 15, and All Saints’ Day on November 1. We also celebrate Užgavėnės (Shrove Tuesday), a call for spring, and Kūčios (Christmas Eve), a quiet and solemn dinner with rituals and fortune-telling in the circle of family and closest friends. Neither Christianity and ecclesiastical dogmas nor liturgy have made us abandon the rituals, customs and beliefs inherited from the old times – they are still alive.

TU IN LITHUANIA

LIETUVOS PROFESINIŲ SĄJUNGŲ KONFEDERACIJA (LPSK)

J. Jasinskio g. 9-213, LT-01111 Vilnius

Tel. (8-5) 2496921, 2498056, faksas (8-5) 2498078

lpsk@lpsk.lt

www.lpsk.lt

LPSK

Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK) is a biggest trade union centre in Lithuania, at the moment comprises twenty-six branches of trade unions. LPSK was set up on 1st May 2002 after the merger between two trade union centres: Lithuanian Trade Union Unification (LPSS) and Lithuanian Trade Union Centre (LPSC).

Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation is independent organization from government and managing authorities, from employers and their organizations and also from public organizations and movements.

LPSK is a member of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and cooperates with International Labour Organization (ILO).

Mission

To join and protect Lithuanian trade unions and to influence Governmental institutions on labour and social issues.

Objectives

On national level to join, support and coordinate the actions of LPSK members at branch and regional level, to protect the rights and legitimate interests of trade union members, to seek to influence the government policy and employers activity on labour, economic and social issues.

To represent LPSK and trade union members solving social, economic and labour issues with state institutions, employers and their organizations.

To promote solidarity in setting united policy of trade unions in Lithuania and to represent Lithuanian trade unions worldwide.

To promote social partnership with employers and their organizations.

Activity

To represent and defend the rights of trade union members.

To inform trade union members and society about the trade unions objectives and activity through mass media.

Actively participate in tripartite coordination of interests and cooperation, solving social, economic and labour issues.

To participate in Tripartite Council of the Republic of Lithuania, seek beneficial annual three-sided agreements for employees.

Actively participate in solving social and labour issues and disputes.

To promote social dialog, initiate bilateral collective agreements with employers’ organizations.

Training of trade union representatives and employees; periodically organize conferences, seminars, forums etc.

To promote establishment of LPSK regional structures.

To promote LPSK Youth and Women’s Board activity.

Branches :

Lithuanian Federation of Railway Workers Trade Unions

Lithuanian Federation of Roads and Transport Workers Trade Unions

Lithuanian Trade Union of Commercial and Cooperative Employees

Lithuanian Federation of Trade Unions of People Working in the Sphere of Culture

Lithuanian Trade Union of Manufacturing Workers

Lithuanian Trade Union of Food Producers

Lithuanian Unification of Metal Workers’ Trade Unions

Lithuanian Federation of Forest and Wood Workers Trade Unions

Lithuanian Teachers’ Union

Trade Union Unification for Creative Workers of Lithuanian Radio and Television

Lithuanian Trade Union of Opera and Ballet Theatre Employees

Lithuanian Association of Free Trade Union Organizations

Lithuanian Service Workers Trade Union

Lithuanian Federation of Industrial Trade Unions

Lithuanian Federation of Radioelectronic Industry Trade Union Organizations

Lithuanian Communication Workers Trade Union

Lithuanian Nurses` Organization

Lithuanian Building Workers Trade Union

Lithuanian Trade Union of Health Care Employees

Federation of Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Unions

Lithuanian Trade Union of State Employees

Lithuanian Federation of Water Transport Workers Trade Unions

Lithuanian Trade Union of the Interior Affair System

Lithuanian Trade Union Federation of Public Services

Lithuanian Federation of Agricultural Workers Trade Unions

TRADE UNION CO-ORDINATION CENTRE

At the end of 2006 the LPSK proposed a merger of the three main confederations.

This has not occurred, although the leaders of the three confederations met and agreed to set up a co-ordination centre to work towards a merger and to undertake joint activities in April 2007.

Lithuanian trade unions cooperate closely with those

of the other Baltic countries, and the unions of the

Nordic Countries, the United States, Poland, Russia,

Georgia, Belarus and Ukraine. A Baltic Council of Trade

Unions was established for the sub-regional

coordination of activities.

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