Cameroonian student in Lithuania describes workplace exploitation and threats
A Cameroonian master's student in Lithuania says a construction company employed him without a proper contract and threatened him with penalties. A trade union and the State Labour Inspectorate say disputes involving foreign workers are rising.
A student from Cameroon who is pursuing a master's degree in Lithuania, identified by LRT.lt as Emmanuel, says he faced exploitation at a construction company about a year after arriving in the country. The firm told him to register as self-employed and did not give him an employment contract. He says he was threatened with a fine of up to €1,500 for disclosing details of the agreement, and that his final wages were withheld when he quit. The case illustrates the position of foreign workers in the Lithuanian labour market, where a trade union reports a growing number of violations.
A contract in an unfamiliar language
Emmanuel came to Lithuania to study social sciences at master's level; in Cameroon he earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology. He first attended lectures for several months without working, then found a job at a construction company. Worried that he would not be covered by health insurance in an accident, he asked for a contract. He was later handed a document in Lithuanian and told he did not need to understand it, only sign. He refused and translated it himself.
According to him, the document gave the employee no rights but set out financial penalties. His pay was not transferred automatically; he had to issue invoices. Because he does not speak Lithuanian, the company did this for a fee deducted from his wages.
When he decided to leave, the employer demanded a full month of work, although the contract required two weeks' notice. He never received his last wages. The company sent documents alleging he had not turned up for work, demanded compensation and warned of a court summons. Frightened, he asked them to keep the money he was owed. A trade union later helped him.
Union and inspectorate figures
Emilis Starodubovas, head of the May 1st Trade Union (G1PS), says the work had the features of employment but was formalised as a contract for services. The contract included a €50 fee for invoice help, a €12 fine for an incorrect invoice and an €80 penalty for lateness. The Labour Disputes Commission later confirmed the company had not met its tax obligations.
The State Labour Inspectorate (VDI) says foreign nationals accounted for around 19% of labour disputes examined in the first half of this year, mostly citizens of non-EU countries. About 78% of their claims concerned unpaid wages.
