The Political Party "Centre of Trade Unions" (Lithuanian: Politinė partija "Profesinių sąjungų centras") is a minor political party in Lithuania founded in 2008. It was founded by the initiative of the trade union Sandrauga. The party has not achieved success in elections in Lithuania and cooperates with right-wing parties.
Centre of Trade Unions Profesinių sąjungų centras | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Kęstutis Juknis |
| Founded | May 24, 2008 |
| Headquarters | Laisvės al. 46, Kaunas |
| Membership | 2,233 members (2024)[1] |
| Ideology | Trade union interests[2] |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Seimas | 0 / 141 |
| European Parliament | 0 / 11 |
| Municipal councils and mayors | 0 / 1,558 |
History
editThe party was founded with 1260 signatures in 2008. It elected Kęstutis Juknis, chairman of the Sandrauga trade union, as its leader.[2] The country's three national trade union centers - the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, the Lithuanian Labour Federation and Solidarity - distanced themselves from the party, claiming that it collates trade union activity with political party activity.[3]
The party was mainly active in Kaunas and participated in municipal elections in Kaunas and Kaunas District Municipality in 2011[4] and 2015.[5] It did not win a single mandate.
In 2016, it joined Naglis Puteikis, 2014 presidential election candidate and former Homeland Union member of the Seimas, and journalist Kristupas Krivickas in the "Anti-Corruption Coalition" (Lithuanian: Antikorupcinė N. Puteikio ir K. Krivicko koalicija). A wide coalition of anti-establishment parties, it was also joined by the Lithuanian Centre Party, the Lithuanian Pensioners' Party, the Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party, and former National Resurrection Party member Ligitas Kernagis.[6] Though the coalition received 6.32% of the vote, it did not reach the 7% threshold required for multi-party coalitions and did not win proportional seats.[7]
The party ran candidates on the list of the People and Justice Union in the 2024 European Parliament election in Lithuania.[8]
Platform
editThe party claims that its goal is to defend the interests of trade unions and the working class.[2]
References
edit- ^ Skėrytė, Jūratė (9 March 2024). "Per pusmetį padaugėjo partijoms priklausančių asmenų, „Drąsos keliui" gresia likvidavimas". LRT (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Steigti partiją apsisprendė įkurti ir profsąjungos". Delfi (in Lithuanian). 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Atsiribojo nuo politinės partijos „Profesinių sąjungų centras" veiklos". Lietuvos švietimo profesinė sąjunga (in Lithuanian). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Politinė partija „Profesinių sąjungų centras"". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2011.
- ^ "Politinė partija „Profesinių sąjungų centras"". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2015.
- ^ "VRK įregistravo N. Puteikio ir K. Krivicko koaliciją". Delfi (in Lithuanian). 18 August 2016.
- ^ "2016 m. spalio 9 d. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimai". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 31 October 2016.
- ^ "Kęstutis JUKNIS". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2024.