Estonia, Labour Unions, Transport

According to the trade union, the minimum wage of an internal goods driver is currently 620 euros per month and it is obviously not enough.

Ullar Kallas, president of ETTA, said that according to the Tax and Customs Board, there are 2,532 transport companies with 16,791 employees in Estonia. "The salary 1-619 euros is paid in nearly half of the companies, which is 40% of the total number of employees. Essentially, these employees are paid less than the valid collective labor agreement stipulates as minimum wage. A salary between 620 and 999 euros is paid in a third of companies, while only 14% of companies pay a salary of more than 1,000 euros per month," Kallas said.

He added that according to the salary information of the job search and recruitment portal CV-Online, the average net salary of a driver is 906 euros and thus, there is a significant difference between the salary information and the officially paid salary.

The Estonian Transport and Road Workers Trade Union has made a proposal to the Union of Estonian Automobile Enterprises to start negotiations and sign an extended sectoral collective agreement as well as impose 1,000 euros per month as the minimum salary for internal drivers, the conditions of which will be mandatory to fulfill for all market participants.

The first round of talks between the Estonian Transport and Road Workers Trade Union and the Union of Estonian Automobile Enterprises will take place on Oct. 30 and during the negotiations, both parties will invite employers that are not members of the union and drivers who are not members of the trade union to actively present their opinions and add proposals to the agreement to be signed.