Estonia, Labour-market, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Society, Strike

There were pickets in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Narva and Viljandi.

In Tallinn's Vabaduse Square, hundreds of people convened, bringing along wheelchairs, hospital beds and other tools. Posters held by the protesters read for example "More support and motivation!", "Create conditions, we will work ourselves!", "Why don’t you listen to the target group!".

"We want this picket to convey a clear message to the government – people with disabilities are opposed to the work ability reform in the form that the government has planned it. Therefore, people with disabilities and their relatives ask the government and the Riigikogu to take time off, do new and systematic work on the reform and put it on correct fundamentals," said the Estonian Caregivers Union head Tiina Kangro.

According to Kangro, work ability reform is very big national project, which directly affects more than 100,000 people with disability or permanent health damage. This also applies to their caregivers, families and professionals who work with them.

Kangro added that the work ability reform is needed, but the current draft law should be changed. People with disabilities have submitted to the government and the parliament a myriad of amendments, which have not been taken into account.

"If you launch the reform in its current form, the situation of many people with disabilities can even deteriorate instead of improving. In addition, a large amount of Estonian and European taxpayers' money will be wasted. That is why we call upon all people with disabilities, as well as non-disabled people, healthy and sick, young and old people to come along with us to the streets," said Kangro, adding that people are all called to join a corresponding petition that the union will hand over to the government, parliament and president of Estonia.

The Estonian government approved of the work ability support bill in spring. Health and Labour Minister Urmas Kruuse said then that the work ability reform will change the current approach, since from now on, a person's ability, not disability to participate in society and in the labour market is evaluated. The plan was that the work ability will be evaluated and a variety of services will be offered by the Unemployment Insurance Fund – thus a person can get everything from one place. According to the forecast, by the year 2020, 10-15% of the persons who have partial work ability and who don’t work now, will work. The law also envisions a new system of paying disability support, as support to people who lack any work ability will be increased and people who have partial disability will see their partial support gradually decrease as their wage increases.