Request to JSC “Lietuvos geležinkeliai”

On 30^th of August this 2011 European Foundation of Human Rights sent a request to JSC “Lietuvos geležinkeliai” about the the cases of punishing employees of the company for not using national language when executing their duties. After less than three months, the Foundation received a reply from the Deputy Minister of Communications Arūnas Štarasa, which contained information that in the period from 20.10.2009 to 25.10.2011 on the basis of the ordinance of director of the cargo transport management  AB “Lietuvos Geležinkeliai” Stasys Gudvalisa, 11 employees  have been punished.

The Foundation calls on victims to ask for contact and offer free legal help in recovering lost funds, along with recompensation. The ability of using other languages ​​is an advantage of every employee. In democratic countries

this ability is the reason for being promoted, in Lithuania, unfortunately, it is still the cause for punishment.

On 20th of October 2009, Deputy  General Director and Director of the Directorate  Cargo Transport Stasys Gudvalis according to the law on national language of RL and Act 91th of the the Patty Offences’ Code made a regulation, which completed the description, approved on 29^th of September 2008, of the preliminary determination of the variable part salary for the administration cargo transportation management and production personnel workers of

5.13, whose content is as follows: “The part of the variable salary for non-use of  national language (Lithuanian),  while executing their duties shall be reduced: the managers – to 100%, employees – up to 50%, people who, in a malicious way, are not using the Lithuanian language after a reprimand – up to 100%. “

Tłumaczenie Katarzyna Słowik w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Katarzyna Słowik within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu