European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
Labour code (208, 209)
According to article 208 of the labour code, before taking a decision on a business transfer, the employer must inform and hold consultations with the works council. At least five working days before the beginning of the planned consultation, the employer must provide the works council with written information on:
When a company does not have a works council or an employee trustee implementing the functions thereof, the employer must provide the information above to the employer-level trade union as well as to the employees, either directly or at a general meeting of the employees of the employer. The trade union is entitled to express its opinion to the employer concerning the employer’s upcoming decisions. The employer must hold consultations for at least five working days from the first day of consultation, unless the works council agrees to a different term.
If an employer has violated the obligations of information and consultation, the works council or the trade union is entitled to initiate a labour dispute on rights within two months of finding out about the violation. The State Labour Inspectorate controls how employers fulfil the obligation of informing and consulting employees (article 209).
Labour relations on ships are regulated by Lithuanian labour law provisions if these ships sail under the flag of the Republic of Lithuania.
Law No XIV-453 (came into force since 15th of July, 2021) establishes that similar provisions under Article 208 of the Labour Code apply not only in the case of a transfer of a business or a part of a business, but also in the case of a restructuring case against an employer opened after 14 July 2021. The same law also adds to the Labour Code an obligation for employers to provide information to the works councils for consultation on "ways and means envisaged to avoid or mitigate negative legal, economic and social consequences for employees".
No information available.
Eurofound (2015), Lithuania: Staff information and consultation on business transfers, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/staff-information-and-consultation-on-business-transfers/lithuania
Between the end of 2022 and the first half of 2023, almost 300,000 employees working for ‘big tech’ companies were laid off across the world, making headlines for months in global media. This development has been a shock, considering the high numbers of jobs in well-known tech corporations with a reputation for offering good working conditions and well-paid positions.
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many banks in the sector have been undergoing serial restructuring since the global financial crisis, and it is one of the few service sectors with stagnant or declining employment.
Since 2011, the Restructuring support instruments database of the EU PolicyWatch has been collecting information on measures that assist companies and workers to anticipate and manage restructuring. This article looks at measures in the database aimed at supporting employees and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).
Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor database reveals the impact of the energy crisis on employment in the EU. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, energy prices have hit record highs. The European Commission imposed sanctions and limitations on the import of oil and gas from Russia, which has reacted by reneging on supply commitments to many Member States.
