Lithuania plans crackdown on workplace drunks

Thursday, December 4, 2008

AFP - Thursday, December 4VILNIUS (AFP) - - The Lithuanian government announced Wednesday that it plans a crackdown on workplace drunkenness, after lawmakers themselves set an example by banning alcohol in the Baltic state's parliament.
The government said it would propose new legislation levying fines of between 100 and 1,000 litas (29 and 292 euros, 37 and 369 dollars) for being drunk at work, depending on the risk of the profession.
Last week, the lawmakers' committee which oversees the running of parliament decided to ban sales of alcohol in the building's restaurants and cafes from January 1.
The move came after the drunken antics of some lawmakers in the corridors of parliament caused a scandal in Lithuania several months ago.
As in many other former communist countries, heavy drinking is recognised as a problem in Lithuania, and one which sometimes hits the workplace.
According to official statistics, nearly 30 percent of the 98 people who died on the job in 2007 did so as a result of drunkenness, notably in the construction industry.
The government's draft also foresees legal action against employers if they tolerate workplace drunkenness.
"This is an excellent idea," said entrepreneur Mindaugas Gedvilas, the boss of Amilina, one of Lithuania's largest flour-milling firms.
Gedvilas told AFP he had fired eight employees for workplace drunkenness earlier this year.
"The situation has gotten better, particularly because of the economic crisis. Employees devote much more attention to their jobs and behave more responsibly," he said.
He claimed the planned law does not go far enough, however.
"If a car is seized in cases of drink-driving, it should be the same for workplace drunkenness, where you should lose your job," he said.
Official statistics show that alcohol consumption is rising in Lithuania.
The average Lithuanian consumed 11.2 litres of pure alcohol in 2007, compared with 11 the previous year, and the number of people with drink-related mental problems increased by 13 percent.