The Union of Estonian Education Workers (EHL) did not reach an agreement with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on raising the minimum salary during Tuesday’s meeting.
EHL chairman and strike leader Reemo Voltri according to him, the teachers naturally thank the Prime Minister that the latter found an opportunity to receive them in a hurry. The teachers conveyed their vision of the situation of educational workers, where the problems are competitive salary, overload and low growth of new teachers.
“The message from the head of government was that education is always a priority and additional funding is given to different fields. However, we did not find an understanding regarding raising the minimum salary, nor that even with the elimination of the tax hump, where according to the government, as if more money is left, the competitiveness of teachers’ salaries will not change. It is also misleading to use the so-called average teacher pay argument, as they mostly come at the expense of overwork and/or extra pay. This has been emphasized by EHL many times,” Voltri told BNS.
According to him, the general background from the Prime Minister was that the country has no money and that’s the way it is. “That we contribute anyway and teachers’ salaries are the only ones to increase. It is true, it is 1.77 percent, or nearly 30 euros gross. It doesn’t even cover inflation, and a signal has come from many teachers that it’s more like teasing and demagoguery,” said Volktri.
According to him, teachers understand that the state’s financial situation is difficult, but the question is still priorities. “The next meeting of EHL is on Friday through the mediation of the national conciliator, where the Ministry of Education and Science and the Union of Estonian Cities and Municipalities will also participate. We remain optimistic that the negotiations will yield a favorable outcome. To amplify our message, we have announced an hour-long warning strike for Friday morning, following all procedures prescribed by law,” added Voltri.
BNS
