Number of labor disputes increases in Estonia
19.09.2008, 12:02By the beginning of August, Estonian Labor
Inspection had received more labor disputes than it received during the last
year, majority of them were connected with monetary claims, aripaev.ee quotes
dv.ee.
The number of labor dispute applications had reached 3,000 by the beginning
of August. That is equal to the total number of disputes in 2007. We can presume
that by the end of the year the number of labor dispute applications will grow
25 pct compared to 2007, Niina Siitam, head of the industrial and
employment relations department at Labor Inspection, said.
According to Siitam, the disputes have been connected with monetary claims
for years and they form about 70-80 pct of the total number of applications. The
monetary claims include unreceived wages, unpaid benefits, final settlement
and vacation fees.
Harri Taliga, chairman of the Estonian central union of trade
unions, said that the big number of disputes is due to the employers’
changed attitude. “The statistics of Labor Inspection is worrying. Abnormal
development of work relations does not motivate the employees,” he added.