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Estonia - Compensation & Benefit Legislation

CAPITAL

Tallinn

 

CLIMATE

Maritime, wet, moderate winters and cool summers.

 

LANGUAGES

Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, English, Finnish and others.

 

LEGAL SYSTEM

Based on civil law system. No judicial review of legislative acts.

 

CURRENCY

Estonia Kroon (1 USD = 17.6950 EEK as of March 15, 2002)

 

ESTONIA - COST-OF-LIVING

ERI's Relocation Assessor is a recommended source for cost-of-living data.

 

ESTONIA - EMBASSY/CONSULATES

U. S. Embassy at Tallinn

Kentmanni 20

15099 Tallinn, Estonia

Telephone: [372] 668 8100

Fax: [372] 668 8134

E-mail: tallinn@usemb.ee

http://www.usemb.ee

 

Embassy of Estonia at Washington D.C.

2131 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington D.C. 20008

Telephone:  (202) 588-0101

Fax: (202) 588-0108

E-mail: info@estemb.org

http://www.estemb.org/

 

ESTONIA - HOLIDAYS

 

ESTONIA - MINIMUM AGE

The statutory minimum age for employment is 16 years. Minors 13 to 15 years of age may work provided that they have the written permission of a parent or guardian and the local labor inspector. The work may not endanger the minor's health or be considered immoral, cannot interfere with education, and must be included on a government-approved list.

 

(Section 6.d. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Estonia – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

 

ESTONIA - MINIMUM REMUNERATION

The monthly minimum wage is 1,600 EEK, or approximately $93. The minimum wage is not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The minimum wage is received by 5 to 6 percent of the workforce. The average monthly wage in the second quarter was approximately $296 (EEK 5,300).

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Estonia – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

ESTONIA - REMUNERATION

ERI's Geographic and Salary Assessors are recommended sources for international remuneration covering 189 countries.

 

ESTONIA - REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (2001, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE)

Section 6 Worker Rights

 

a. The Right of Association

 

The Constitution provides for the right to form and join a union or employee association. The largest trade union is the Central Organization of Estonian Trade Unions (EAKL): it is wholly voluntary and has 58,000 members. Another trade union, the Organization of Employee Unions, split from the EAKL and has approximately 40,000 members. A third central union represents food processing and rural workers. Approximately one-third of the country's labor force belongs to one of the three labor federations. Unions are independent of the Government and political parties.

 

The ICFTU's 2000 "Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights" states that the registration requirements for trade unions, set out in the 1996 Non-Profit Associations Act, are "overly detailed" and "limited their right to decide upon the functioning of their decision-making bodies, stipulated procedures in respect to the establishment, merger, and separation of trade unions, federations and confederations, and gave the authorities the power to liquidate trade unions." A new trade union law, which was drafted in cooperation with EAKL and adopted in 2000, eliminated many of the problems.

 

The right to strike is legal, and the Constitution and statutes prohibit retribution against strikers. No strikes took place during the year.

   

Unions may join federations freely and affiliate internationally.

  

b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

 

While workers have the legally acquired right to bargain collectively, collective bargaining has not developed fully. According to EAKL leaders, few collective bargaining agreements have been concluded between the management and workers of a specific enterprise. However, the EAKL has concluded framework agreements with producer associations, which provide the basis for specific labor agreements, including the setting of the minimum wage. The EAKL also was involved with developing the Labor Code, which covers employment contracts, vacation, and occupational safety. The director general of ETV came under fire for not being willing to cooperate with the station's labor union (see Section 2.a.). Employees threatened to strike if communication between management and staff did not improve.

 

The Labor Code prohibits antiunion discrimination, and employees may go to court to enforce their rights. The law provides for collective bargaining, collective dispute resolution, and shop stewards.

 

There are no export processing zones.

 

c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

 

The Constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor; however, there were reports that women were trafficked for prostitution (see Section 6.f.).

 

The Constitution does not specifically prohibit forced and bonded labor by children, and there were reports that families forced children into begging (see Section 6.d.).

 

d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment

 

The statutory minimum age for employment is 16 years. Minors 13 to 15 years of age may work provided that they have the written permission of a parent or guardian and the local labor inspector. The work may not endanger the minor's health or be considered immoral, cannot interfere with education, and must be included on a government-approved list. Government authorities effectively enforce minimum age laws through inspections.

 

In June the Government ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor.

 

The Constitution does not specifically prohibit forced and bonded labor by children, and, while there were no reports of forced or bonded labor by children in enterprises, there were instances in which families forced their children to engage in peddling or begging.

 

e. Acceptable Conditions of Work

 

The Government, after consultations with the EAKL and the Central Producers Union, sets the minimum wage. The monthly minimum wage is $93 (EEK 1,600). The minimum wage is not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The minimum wage is received by 5 to 6 percent of the workforce. The average monthly wage in the second quarter was approximately $296 (EEK 5,300).

 

The standard workweek is 40 hours, and there is a mandatory 24-hour rest period per week. According to EAKL sources, legal occupational health and safety standards are satisfactory in theory; however, they are extremely difficult to achieve in practice. The National Labor Inspection Board is responsible for enforcement of these standards, but it has not been very effective. The labor unions also have occupational health and safety experts who assist workers to bring employers into compliance with legal standards. Workers have the right to remove themselves from dangerous work situations without jeopardizing their continued employment.

 

f. Trafficking in Persons

 

The law does not prohibit trafficking in persons; however, while there were no official reports during the year that persons were trafficked, to, from, or within the country, it is generally believed that Estonian women were trafficked to Central Europe for prostitution. Destination countries are thought to include Finland, Sweden, Poland, and Germany. Reportedly job advertisements placed from abroad that request women are in some cases associated with international prostitution rings.

 

Despite the absence of laws specifically criminalizing trafficking, existing laws regarding Kidnaping, extortion, and involuntary prostitution are used to address the problem. There were no arrests or prosecutions of traffickers during the year.

 

In 2000 the Government concluded several interstate cooperation agreements concerning fighting crime including trafficking in persons. It also concluded several bilateral agreements on the extradition of Estonian citizens accused of trafficking in other countries.

 

ESTONIA - SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Office of International Programs:

 

http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html

 

ESTONIA - STANDARD WORKWEEK

The standard workweek is 40 hours, and there is a mandatory 24-hour rest period per week.

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Estonia – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)