Officer unions warn of protests over state budget

Officer trade unions say next year’s state budget proposal does not provide enough funding for pay rises, equipment and social guarantees, and warn that officers may protest if their concerns are ignored, LRT reported, citing ELTA.

Ineta Kursevičienė, head of the National Association of Officers’ Trade Unions, which represents nearly a third of the country’s statutory officers, said the proposed funding would not meet officers’ expectations. She said it would also fall short of what is needed to renew equipment and information technology systems and introduce artificial intelligence tools.

“The lack of political will is clear,” Kursevičienė told ELTA. Politicians can agree on defence spending, she said, but struggle to reach agreement on funding for internal security, even as officers face burnout and take on multiple jobs.

She said staffing shortages were linked to slow responses to incidents and a growing public dissatisfaction over unsolved thefts and fraud. In some cases, one officer is doing the work of three or four, she said, slowing investigations and other processes.

Kursevičienė said officers’ performance incentive system was ineffective because of a lack of funding. Officers who work diligently may receive only one or two extra days of leave and a letter of thanks, she said. A student entering the service can earn up to 1,000 euros, while the unions believe starting pay for officers should be at least 1,500 euros, with further increases based on service length and duties.

She also questioned whether benefits offered by municipalities to new police recruits encourage them to stay. Some join to receive housing allowances, work for five years and then leave, while more experienced officers often take second jobs, she said.

The unions’ concerns have not been addressed through protests or other measures, Kursevičienė said, adding that this had left officers feeling powerless.

Firefighters say planned pay rise falls short

Miroslavas Gerasimovičius, head of the Firefighters’ Trade Union, told ELTA that the pay increase proposed in the budget was insufficient. The starting salary for a firefighter is 918 euros, although monthly pay varies according to factors such as night work and hazardous conditions. The union says there is no shortage of people wanting to become firefighters.