Union head: Teachers demand minimum salary set at €2,300
The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) will demand during teachers' salary negotiations that the government fulfill its pre-election promises by raising teachers' minimum salary to 120 percent of the national average.
According to EHL Chairman Reemo Voltri, preparations for next year's negotiations are already underway, with all parties set to gather at the negotiating table at the beginning of summer.
"On June 3, we will invite all parties — all school operators, all local governments, the ministry and teachers' representatives, meaning the EHL — to formally begin negotiations," Voltri said.
The central issue in the talks is the long-standing promise to raise teachers' salaries to a level that would encourage professionals to remain in the field. Voltri stressed that a significant step toward that goal is expected next year.
"As promised before the Riigikogu elections, teachers' salaries must reach 120 percent of the national average by 2027. That means we are demanding next year's forecast national average salary as the minimum rate, which is €2,300," Voltri said.
According to Voltri, the issue is one of political credibility.
"Society and teachers still expect politicians to keep their promises. If it was promised before the elections that such a salary level would be reached by 2027, I would not want to believe that politicians would very clearly choose the path of deception," he added.
"Even in 2024, when we went on strike, the then-prime minister said that salary increases had been promised during the elections and that the promise would be fulfilled by 2027. She emphasized that such a raise had never been promised for 2024, but that the 2027 pledge would be honored as promised. We expect politicians to keep their word," Voltri said.
In January 2024, teachers in Estonia went on strike, with the walkout ending on January 30 after the government and the Education Personnel Union reached an agreement on salary increases. The strike lasted seven working days, causing disruptions in many schools and prompting demonstrations. At the end of the month, EHL accepted the government's proposal through the state conciliator, raising the minimum teacher salary to €1,820. Education workers made a major compromise in accepting the deal, having begun negotiations from €1,950, equal to the national average salary.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Marcus Turovski
