Internal security is in crisis, the Rescue Workers' Union said in response to a decision to raise police officers' and rescue workers' salaries by just 3 percent. Slightly more than €7 million in additional funding will be allocated.

"We cannot simply stand by and watch as a decision is made that is completely at odds with the expectations of internal security personnel," said Kalle Koop, chief shop steward of the Rescue Workers' Union.

The minimum salary for a rescue worker is €1,606. That means an additional €48 gross, which Koop said is a very modest amount for someone who must be prepared to enter a burning building to save others.

A newly hired police officer earns a gross monthly salary of €2,030, nearly 10 percent below the Estonian average. Both rescue workers and police officers, however, want salaries of at least 1.2 times the Estonian average.

Staffing and salary crisis deepening

Enel Kuiv, chief shop steward of the Police Officers' Union, said the police are facing a staffing and pay crisis that continues to worsen. "Different crises keep emerging. Those at the border are currently the most pressing, but other significant problems have also arisen in internal security," she said.

According to Kuiv, solving the problem will require greater investment and better prioritization by the government. "The state budget in the form currently proposed by the government certainly does not treat internal security as a priority," she said.

It is not yet clear exactly how much police officers' and rescue workers' salaries will change next year. The Ministry of the Interior has yet to determine the specific needs within its area of responsibility.

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the additional payroll funding will allow some improvements, but the ministry will have to operate even more efficiently than last year. "We will certainly analyze where the need is greatest. We won't spread the money evenly," he said.

"Everyone should understand that if we simply spread the money evenly — ours is one of the largest areas of government among the ministries, with 8,000 employees — everyone will end up completely dissatisfied," Taro said.

Cultural workers' minimum wage will not rise

In the cultural sector, the payroll fund will increase by 2.5 percent, adding nearly €3 million. However, the minimum salary for cultural workers with higher education will not rise and will remain at €1,720.

Culture Minister Heidy Purga (Reform) said the minimum means employees cannot be paid less than that. "But they can certainly be paid more and probably should be," she said. According to Purga, statistics show that the average salary in the cultural sector is above €2,000. With the additional funding, managers will now be able to make their own decisions on pay.

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