Former and current temporary staff at the European Institute for Gender Equality are heading to court to fight for the same pay as permanent staff.

According to the Baltic News Service, the dispute reached court after the labour dispute commission of Lithuania's Labor Inspectorate ordered Manpower Lit (ManpowerGroup in Lithuania), which hired temporary staff for the Institute, to raise pay for temporary staff so that it matches the pay of permanent staff. Additionally, they ordered Manpower Lit to cover the pay difference for six months.

Six temporary employees claim their average pay was approximately €700 euros. Meanwhile, permanent employees in the same category with the same education and working experience were paid nearly €2,000.

Manpower Lit says it did not breach the European rules for pay parity at the institution and stated that employees' functions were “totally” different.

Both the Institute and Manpower Lit told the court that the Institute does not have permanent positions that could be comparable to work done by temporary staff. They stated that this is the reason why the salary for temporary staff was set with pay comparable to those in similar roles in the Lithuanian labour market, and not at EU institutions.

Gerda Baltrunaite, head of business expansion at Manpower Lit, told the court that selection criteria for temporary and permanent staff at the Institute differ as "considerably stricter requirements" are set for those applying for permanent positions at the Institute.

The hearing is set to continue on 6 December 2018.