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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 13:14

HKScan workers won't back down their demand for 50% wage rise

BC, Tallinn, 24.11.2017.Print version
Workers at the Rakvere meatpacking plant of HKScan will not back down on their demand for a 50% increase in the basic wage, Artjom Arhangelski, secretary of the Estonian Trade Union Confederation (EAKL), told regional newspaper Virumaa Teataja, cites LETA/BNS.

The union has proposed a two-tier rise in the basic wage, with one hike to be executed this year and the other in 2018.

 

The newspaper said that where the meeting of the union representatives with the management in the presence of the public conciliator last week instilled pessimism, according to Arhangelski, the meeting of the representatives of the employer and the employees on Wednesday could be described as a standstill.

 

Arhangelski said the employer has rejected their proposal that the basic wage of workers be raised on two occasions this year and in 2018, and wishes to move forward with the public conciliator.

 

The next meeting has been scheduled for next week.

 

Raili Karjane, counselor at the Estonian Industrial and Metalworkers Union that employees of the Rakvere plant belong to, said that workers of the slaughterhouse of the Rakvere plant at present get paid about 750 euros a month net, which includes extras. A 50% increase in the basic wage would raise the net income of employees to 1,100-1,200 euros a month in 2018.

 

This includes the effect from the rise in the basic exemption to 500 euros a month next year, the counselor added.

 

The industrial dispute at the Rakvere meatpacking plant got its start on Oct. 17 when 27 workers of the slaughterhouse staged an illegal stoppage, which resulted in the dismissal of three employees. The employees said they were protesting against bad working conditions and stagnation of wages, which have not been raised for the past ten years.






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