TALO wants the current minimum €1,600 to rise to €2,038 for employees, with higher education qualifications or professional qualifications, paid by the state and those working in institutions run by local governments.

The Bank of Estonia estimates the average salary will be €2,038  in 2025.

"Based on the agreements concluded so far, the minimum wage for TALO members is shamefully below the average wage in the Republic and has shown a downward trend in recent years. Inflation in recent years must also be taken into account: 0.4 percent in 2020, 4.6 percent in 2021, 15 percent in 2022 and 10 percent in 2023," wrote Regina Varret, deputy chairman of the TALO board, in a letter sent to the Ministry of Culture.

"We therefore consider the high minimum wage increase requested by TALO to be justified. Otherwise, the objective set out in previous cultural policies and in the current cultural development plan of ensuring fair and motivating remuneration for qualified cultural workers will not be met. At present, cultural workers are persistently and unfairly underpaid," she added.

Members whose gross salaries are already above the agreed minimum amount should have a wage rise of at least 12 percent, TALO said.

The association wants to form a nationwide delegation for its negotiations. As well as salaries, it also wants to discuss wage conditions and social guarantees.

TALO's delegation represents unions from the cultural, media, and sport sectors.

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