Lithuanian trade unions oppose president’s plan to limit migrant workers’ permits

Eight organisations representing Lithuania’s trade unions are urging politicians to reject President Gitanas Nausėda’s proposed restrictions on migrant workers, warning that the measures could increase workers’ dependence on employers and make it harder for them to defend their rights.

The proposed system would allow foreign workers to stay in Lithuania on fixed-term work permits and require them to leave the country for at least six months after completing two years of employment, the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation said Thursday. It would also not allow them to bring their families to Lithuania.

“The greatest concern is that the proposed system could further tie a foreigner’s right to work and live in Lithuania to a specific employer,” the confederation said in a statement. “In such a case, it would be difficult for a worker to change jobs even if they faced unpaid wages, poor working conditions or other violations.”

Trade union leaders argued that Lithuania should focus on improving working conditions and wages to attract and retain workers rather than making their residence status dependent on their employers.

“If Lithuania lacks workers, we must first ask why we are unable to attract and retain them. Perhaps the problem is not a shortage of workers but the working conditions on offer?” confederation chairwoman Dalia Jakutavičė said.

“Lithuanian businesses must compete on wages, working conditions and productivity, not on workers’ dependence on their employers,” she added.

The eight organisations are calling on the presidential office, government and parliament to reassess the proposal and focus on measures that would help companies recruit staff while increasing employment opportunities for Lithuanian citizens.

“We cannot create two labour markets, one in which people can freely choose their jobs and another in which that possibility is restricted,” Jakutavičė said.

The parliament, Seimas, approved Nausėda’s proposals in principle in mid-July. The president’s office says the changes are intended to improve migration management while addressing labour shortages in the Lithuanian economy.

Under the proposed model, fixed-term permits would primarily apply to foreign nationals who intend to work in Lithuania temporarily rather than settle there, including long-haul truck drivers and construction workers. The system would streamline entry and application procedures to help employers recruit workers more quickly when they cannot find suitable staff locally.

After two years of employment, workers covered by the scheme would have to leave Lithuania for at least six months. Highly skilled workers from outside the European Union would not be subject to the same restrictions.

The presidential office has also argued that the model would help prevent family reunification from accelerating growth in the migrant population.