Estonian unions say public sector pay rises fall short

Estonia's government plans to slightly increase payroll funds for several public sector groups next year, but unions argue the increases are too small to address ongoing staffing shortages and structural problems.

Rescue workers and police call raises inadequate

The Rescue Workers' Union criticized a decision to raise police officers' and rescue workers' salaries by just 3 percent, backed by slightly more than €7 million in additional funding. Chief shop steward Kalle Koop said the decision does not match what internal security personnel expected.

The minimum salary for a rescue worker is €1,606, and the raise amounts to only €48 gross more — a modest sum, Koop said, for someone who must be ready to enter a burning building to save lives. A newly hired police officer earns €2,030 gross monthly, nearly 10 percent below the national average. Both professions are asking for salaries at least 1.2 times the average wage.

Enel Kuiv, chief shop steward of the Police Officers' Union, said staffing and pay problems in policing keep worsening. She noted that pressure at the border is currently the most urgent issue, though other serious problems have emerged across internal security. Addressing this, she said, requires greater investment and clearer prioritization from the government, which she said currently does not treat internal security as a priority.

Interior Minister Igor Taro said the additional funds will allow some improvements but require the ministry to operate more efficiently than before. He said money will not be distributed evenly across the ministry's roughly 8,000 employees, since an even split would leave everyone dissatisfied.

No increase to cultural workers' minimum wage

In the cultural sector, the payroll fund will grow by 2.5 percent, adding nearly €3 million. However, the minimum salary for cultural workers with higher education will stay at €1,720. Culture Minister Heidy Purga said this figure is only a floor — employers can and probably should pay more, noting that the sector's average salary already exceeds €2,000. The extra funding will let managers decide pay levels themselves.