Estonia - Unions say pay rise for public sector is insufficient - September 30, 2026

Teachers, cultural workers, rescue workers and police will get modest pay increases next year, the Education Minister said as talks with the unions resumed on 23 September, the day after a teachers' warning strike. Unions say the extra wage funding in the 2027 budget is not enough. The Rescue Workers' Union said internal security is in crisis after the Government decided to raise police and rescue workers' pay by just 3%, with slightly more than € 7 million in additional funding. It said that means an extra € 48 gross on a rescue worker's minimum salary of € 1,606. A newly hired police officer earns € 2,030 gross, almost 10% below the national average. Both groups want at least 1.2 times the average wage.

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