Agreement Signed with Trade Unions to Improve Healthcare Workers' Working Conditions
In an effort to consistently improve the economic, working, and social conditions of employees in Lithuania’s national healthcare system institutions, the Ministry of Health and nine trade union organizations representing healthcare professionals have signed an agreement on amendments to the November 4, 2024, sectoral collective agreement of the Lithuanian National Health System .
According to Minister of Health Linas Kukuraitis, the key expectation of the negotiations, that a new minimum amount for the fixed component of the basic salary would take effect from next year, has been met. This means that the working conditions of the country’s healthcare system employees will improve.
Under the agreement, as of 1 January 2027, the minimum fixed components of the basic salaries of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals working in public healthcare institutions will be increased. The agreement also clarifies the provisions on annual leave for public health specialists working in educational institutions and provides an opportunity for institutions to include provisions in their collective agreements allowing employers to allocate funding for trade union activities.
Negotiations between the Ministry of Health and trade union organisations took place from 8 April to 21 October. The agreement will enter into force once it has been signed and registered, while its new provisions will take effect on 1 January next year.
The Fixed Component of Salaries for Doctors, Nurses and Other Healthcare Professionals Will Increase
As of 1 January 2027, the minimum fixed component of the basic salary of a full-time doctor will increase by €287.50, or 11.1%, from €2,595 to €2,882.50. The new amount will be calculated on the basis of the 2026 minimum monthly wage (MMW) of €1,153, applying a coefficient of 2.5.
If a healthcare institution has set a coefficient higher than 2.5 for the fixed component of a doctor's salary, the 2026 MMW will apply only to the portion corresponding to a coefficient of 2.5. The portion of the coefficient exceeding 2.5 will continue to be calculated using the 2025 MMW.
The minimum fixed component of the basic salary of a full-time nurse or midwife holding a college or higher-level qualification will increase by €258.90, or 14.3%, from €1,816.50 to €2,075.40. This will represent 72% of the minimum fixed component of a doctor's basic salary (currently 70%). The minimum fixed component of the basic salaries of other healthcare professionals will be determined as a percentage of the minimum fixed component of a doctor's basic salary. As a result of this change, their minimum fixed salary components will increase by 11.1%.
Annual Leave Provisions Clarified and Funding for Trade Union Activities Made Possible
The agreement clarifies the arrangements for granting annual leave to public health specialists working in educational institutions. Specialists working five days a week will continue to be entitled to 40 working days of annual leave. Those working fewer than five days a week, or an uneven number of working days in different weeks, will be entitled to eight weeks of annual leave. Annual leave will primarily be granted during school holidays. However, employers may grant leave at other times, provided that the continuous delivery of public health services at the school is ensured.
The agreement also provides for the possibility of including provisions in institutions' collective agreements allowing employers to allocate funds to support trade union activities. However, such funding may not be subject to conditions that undermine the independence of employee representatives. Where several trade unions operate within an institution, they may negotiate such agreements either jointly or separately.