The industrial action, known as a warning strike, affects ferries between the mainland and the islands of Kihnu and Vormsi, after 13 ferry crews and their employer failed to reach a wage agreement.

Union boss Jüri Lember told ERR the Ormsö ferry is remaining in Sviby harbor in Vormsi, between noon and 1 p.m. Sunday and so not sailing its regular route at that time to Rohuküla, on the mainland.

Similarly the Kihnu Virve will be docked at Kihnu harbor over the same time period, instead of sailing to Munalaiu.

Initially the warning strike for the Kihnu Virve had been planned for a time when it would have been in port on the mainland, later in the afternoon.

The Estonian Independent Seafarers' Union (Eesti meremeeste sõltumatu ametiühing) had turned to the national conciliator in an effort to reach a collective agreement with ferry operator Kihnu Veeteed. The union had sought a pay rise of up to 30 percent plus the indexation of wages next year.

While a response was due from Kihnu Veeteed by 2 p.m. last Wednesday, none was received, prompting the crews of the two ferries to go ahead with the strike.

The seafarers' union said it has been trying to reach a collective agreement with the employer since March 9, but without success.

Ferry company spokesperson: We do not make sufficient profits to meet wage demands

Kihnu Veeteed representative Jaak Kaabel later told ERR that the seafarers' union's expectations are so high that it is quite difficult to meet them. "It must be kept in mind that a month ago the state conciliator, as a neutral party, presented a conciliation proposal, but EMSA rejected that compromise. Instead, it was decided to hold a warning strike today, which makes this conciliation process rather unusual or interesting. The focus is mainly on labor costs," Kaabel said.

"We have boosted wages in recent years, and we have raised them by more than the cost of living has gone up during that time. In that respect, we are in a surprising situation. The other part of the issue is that all our income comes from providing a service to the state through public procurement — namely, operating ferries. There, revenues are fixed, but costs are open-ended. Our profit margin has been around 5 per cent in recent years, so competition in tenders is quite intense. We simply do not have the kind of profits from which we could significantly increase wages," Kaabel went on.

Kihnu Veeteed failed to respond within the deadline to a settlement proposal the national conciliator issued on June 26, the union said, adding the company's positions overall have lacked substance.

Editor's note: This piece was updated to include comment from the Kihnu Veeteed spokesperson.

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