LRA to lay off over 1,000 workers

VILNIUS - After the funding of the Road Maintenance and Development Program was reduced, 950 employees of the road sector will be dismissed, the Lithuanian Roads Association [LRA] said.

The company's Executive DirectorRimvydas Gradauskas said that reducing the number of employees is related to decreasing investments in the roads sector. In 2012, 817 million litas (236.64 million euros) is to be given to the Road Maintenance and Development Program, which is by 32 percent less than in 2011, writes LETA/ELTA.

EU funds provided for road infrastructure has decreased as well. In 2012, 117 million litas (33.9  million euros) is planned to be obtained, which is by 76.6 percent less than in 2011, when the sum of money for roads was 500 million litas (EUR 144.8 million).

Three years ago, 1,500 thousand road builders were dismissed.