[Estonia] Union seeking 20% increase to cultural workers' minimum salary

On February 17, the Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation and the Ministry of Culture held wage talks in which the union sought a rise in the minimum salary for university-educated cultural workers from €1,720 to €2,021, ERR News reports.

Maris Rosenthal - an Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation (TALO) board member - said the talks would resume where they left off last year.

"Last year, it was decided to raise the minimum salary for cultural workers, coaches and group managers from this year's budget and to allocate additional funds to increase the wage fund. That is now our starting point as we continue," she said.

TALO is reportedly seeking a 20 per cent pay raise and an increase in the overall wage fund.

Ms Rosenthal said, "We are taking the average salary as our goal and will now negotiate raising the minimum salary for employees from the current €1,720 to €2,021 and, of course, increasing the overall wage fund so managers have the opportunity to motivate their other specialists as well." 

Following the meeting, Ms Rosenthal told ERR that it marked the start of negotiations, with talks set to continue in April. "We presented our five proposals that we would like to see taken into account. The minister listened, and we discussed them. Since budget negotiations and wage proposals depend on the economic forecast, after hearing us out, the culture minister proposed meeting again in April," she said.

"Concrete proposals or figures have never come out of a first meeting." 

Ms Rosenthal reportedly added that, as raising cultural workers' pay goes hand in hand with increasing the wage fund, the fund would need to grow by 15 per cent.

Source: ERR News

(Quotes via original reporting)

On February 17, the Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation and the Ministry of Culture held wage talks in which the union sought a rise in the minimum salary for university-educated cultural workers from €1,720 to €2,021, ERR News reports.

Maris Rosenthal - an Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation (TALO) board member - said the talks would resume where they left off last year.

"Last year, it was decided to raise the minimum salary for cultural workers, coaches and group managers from this year's budget and to allocate additional funds to increase the wage fund. That is now our starting point as we continue," she said.

TALO is reportedly seeking a 20 per cent pay raise and an increase in the overall wage fund.

Ms Rosenthal said, "We are taking the average salary as our goal and will now negotiate raising the minimum salary for employees from the current €1,720 to €2,021 and, of course, increasing the overall wage fund so managers have the opportunity to motivate their other specialists as well." 

Following the meeting, Ms Rosenthal told ERR that it marked the start of negotiations, with talks set to continue in April. "We presented our five proposals that we would like to see taken into account. The minister listened, and we discussed them. Since budget negotiations and wage proposals depend on the economic forecast, after hearing us out, the culture minister proposed meeting again in April," she said.

"Concrete proposals or figures have never come out of a first meeting." 

Ms Rosenthal reportedly added that, as raising cultural workers' pay goes hand in hand with increasing the wage fund, the fund would need to grow by 15 per cent.

Source: ERR News

(Quotes via original reporting)