The minimum salaries of state-paid culture workers should rise to the expected national average next year, the Federation of Estonian Employees' Unions (Federation of Estonian Employees' Unions/TALO) said. She wants to start negotiations as soon as possible.
TALO wants the current minimum of €1,600 to rise to €2,038 for employees with higher education or vocational qualifications, paid by the state, and workers in institutions run by local governments.
The Bank of Estonia estimates that the average salary will be €2,038 in 2025.
“Based on the agreements concluded so far, the minimum wage for TALO members is shamefully lower than the average wage in the Republic and has shown a downward trend in recent years. Inflation in recent years must also be taken into account: 0.4 percent in 2020,” she wrote. “4.6% in 2021, 15% in 2022, and 10% in 2023,” said Regina Faret, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of TALO, in a letter sent to the Ministry of Culture.
“We therefore consider that the high minimum wage increase requested by TALO is justified. Otherwise, the goal set forth in previous cultural policies and in the current Cultural Development Plan to ensure fair and motivating wages for qualified cultural workers will not be achieved. At present, she added that workers in The field of culture is consistently and unfairly underpaid.
Members whose total salaries already exceed the agreed-upon minimum should receive a pay increase of at least 12 percent, TALO said.
The association wants to form a national delegation for its negotiations. In addition to salaries, it would also like to discuss wage conditions and social guarantees.
The TALO delegation represents unions from the cultural, media and sports sectors.
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