Cultural professionals' minimum wage to increase to €1,300
Minister of Culture Indrek Saar (SDE) and Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation (TALO) board chairman Ago Tuuling are set to a sign a wage agreement for 2019 on Thursday that will increase the minimum monthly gross wage of cultural professionals to €1,300.
The Estonian government initially reached an agreement that the wages of cultural professionals on the Ministry of Culture's payroll would increase to €1,250 next year. Finding sources for the pay increase, however, the ministry was able to cover a larger raise than initially planned. The wage hike to €1,300 will indicate a minimum wage raise of 13%.
Raises will also be guaranteed to cultural professionals and support staff with degrees who currently earn above the minimum wage. The salary fund for these employees will increase 7%, to be distributed according to internal decisions.
The nationwide agreement will affect cultural professionals on the Ministry of Culture's payroll, but is recommended for all employees of the sector, regardless of administrative authority.
Cultural professionals' gross minimum wage first broke the €1,000 mark with an increase to €1,150 this year. Just a few years ago, in 2015, their minimum wage was just €731, which means that by 2019, it will have increased by €569, or 78%.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla