March 9, 2006
On 15 and 16 February 2006 EEPU's Assembly of Commissioners held a periodic meeting, which the representatives of counties took part in. At the meeting, a summary was made concerning the fulfilling of the budget for 2005 and the budget for 2006 was adopted. Several questions were discussed, related to the new minimal salary rates for teachers which took effect on January 1, 2006. A longer discussion was dedicated to the nation-wide survey carried out among teachers during last term which concerned their working hours and tasks. The goal of the survey was to analyze the actual situation and upon need, to apply for additional posts to help teachers at their work and to raise their efficiency. In co-operation with the Institute of International and Social Studies of Tallinn University a summary will be compiled of the survey.

Since soon the new negotiations between TALO and the National Government will begin with the goal to achieve an increase in the minimal salary rates again from January 1, 2007, EEPU's suggestions concerning this event were specified.

It was suggested to set as the new minimal salary rates from January 1, 2007 at least the following values:

junior teacher EEK 7920 teacher EEK 8400 senior teacher EEK 9600 teacher-methodologist EEK 11,640

These suggested minimal salary rates would mean that the current rates, as of 2006, would be raised by 20 per cent.

It was also considered necessary to adopt national minimal salary rates for the additional pay to class teachers and these would be related to the grade assigned to teachers at evaluation and the respective salary rate. The minimal rates of additional pay should amount to at least 15 per cent in basic schools and at least 10 per cent in secondary schools, of the minimal salary rate determined for the grade of the teacher, assigned at evaluation. In addition to these minimal rates, the additional pay rates for class teachers should be differentiated in the individual institutions, taking into account the number of pupils and other differences between classes. This step will require additional financial resources to be set aside.

The Assembly found it important to find a solution to the issue of determining national minimal salary rates for the employees of pre-school child care institutions, as well as for those employees of schools, financed this far mostly by the local authorities (speech therapists, psychologists etc).

In Palmse, EEPU and the Ministry of Education and Science contracted an agreement with the aim to improve the solving of education-related issues (please refer to the text of the agreement). A possible agreement with Elisa Mobile Services was also discussed. This agreement will only apply to the members of EEPU and will offer the members lower mobile call rates as well as more favourable conditions when buying mobile phones.

At the seminar-training that followed the meeting of the Assembly, current issues pertaining to education were discussed and talks were given by Minister of Education and Science Ms Mailis Reps, Deputy Minister Mr Erkki Piisang and Counsellor of the Minister Ms Urve Läänemets.

October 25, 2005
About Celebrating the World Teahers' Day

Education Award 2005
The Education Award of The President of the Republic's Cultural Foundation is awarded on all levels of education, to people in the field who have achieved outstanding results in Estonian education life as teachers, university faculty members, headmasters of an educational institution or as employees at those institutions; as authors of textbooks and methodological materials; and to those outstanding as initiators and implementers of innovative changes; as well as to civil servants taking part in the process of elaborating the education policy.
Candidates are put forward to the Cultural Foundation by Estonian Education Personnel Union (EEPU) in co-operation with other education unions, associations and societies as well as by the members of the Board of the Cultural Foundation.
The Board of the Cultural Foundation elects 3 honourees from amongst the candidates. The President of the Republic of Estonia, Mr Arnold Ruutel hands the prizes over on the World Teachers' Day. The prizes are EEK 50,000, EEK 30,000 and EEK 20,000 respectively. The prizes are bankrolled by Hansabank.
The Education Award 2005 was rewarded to Headmaster of Tallinn French Upper Secondary School and outstanding French teacher Mr Lauri Leesi; to Professor Emeritus and active member of the Board of the Public Institute of Research in Pedagogy, the head of the Didactics Section Ms Inge Unt; and to appreciated and authoritative education leader, one of the founders of the School Headmasters' Union Mr Evald Laprik.

Competition "Teacher of the Year" 2005
The competition "Teacher of the Year" is organized by the Ministry for Education and Science of the Republic of Estonia, local governments, municipalities, EEPU and EEPU's unions in counties and towns.
The goals of the competition are to promote, recognize and introduce teachers, pre-school child care institution employees, heads of educational institutions and other education personnel members whose work and personal excellence have greatly contributed to the process of young people becoming versatile personalities and positively affected the life in the educational institution, the region and Estonia.
The number of Teachers of the Year is not limited at the local institutions. Pupils, parents, education authority collectives, trade union organizations and others may put forward candidates for the title Teacher of the Year.
The prize-winning teachers are awarded at educational institutions, parishes, towns and counties, with honour certificates as well as gifts and monetary prizes.
The member organizations of Estonian Education Personnel Union also take actively part in this undertaking.
The professional results of the prize-winning teachers are covered in local newspapers, radio broadcasts as well as in the national papers, radio and television.
From amongst the Teachers of the Year, the education authority of the given local government or the municipality in co-operation with EEPU's member organization in the given town/county, choose one or more representative(s) who will participate at the nation-wide meeting organized by the Ministry for Education and Science and EEPU.

December 10, 2003
About the national strike organised by Estonian Employees´ Unions´ Confederation TALO on December 4, 2003 in Estonia
More than 18,500 employees took part in the strike and more than 2,000 employees joined us for a supportive strike. 13,014 education employees took part in the strike from EEPU's side. All in all we have a membership of 15,000 employees. The one-day strike organised on December 4 was the first of its kind in the re-established Republic of Estonia, in previous years only one-hour warning strikes have taken place. All in all there are about 18,000 teachers working in Estonian schools and about 7,000 teachers in child care institutions.
It is important that in addition to education and culture employees the strike was joined by railway workers who suspended railway traffic for an hour on December 4, as well as by busdrivers in towns. The strike was well received and the need for higher salaries for education and culture employees was understood. On December 3, the Government tried to make us cancel the strike by inviting the chairmen of TALO and EEPU to meet the Prime Minister. As the Government had nothing acceptable to offer to the trade unions, our representatives, regardless of high pressure, stuck to holding the strike.
On the strike day, a demonstration with over 3,000 participants in the fields of education, culture and science took place in front of the House of Parliament in Tallinn; in Viljandi (in southern Estonia), a demonstration with 450 participants was held. The participants presented the Parliament and the Government with their demands, which were also read out at the Parliament's session. The Parliament's vice-speaker Mr. Peeter Kreizberg held a speech at the demonstration.
We succeeded in organising both the strike and the demonstrations and we hope that the members of TALO will see their salary conditions improved in the future.
Sven Rondik Chairman of Estonian Education Personnel Union

November 26, 2003
Information
About Estonian Education Personnel Union's participation in the national strike on December 4, 2003.
On December 4 this year, a national strike organised by TALO (which EEPU is member of) will take place in reaction to Estonian Government's policies concerning education and culture.
We currently have a completely right-wing Government coalition. The salary negotiations that took place between TALO and the Government this year, failed. This means that the official minimal salary - EEK 5350 (EUR 340, USD 400) - for young higher-educated specialists will not be increased, which will continuously keep young teachers away from schools. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance has predicted that the average income in 2004 will be EEK 7362 (EUR 470, USD 555).
At the moment there is a serious lack of teachers in Estonia - for example, in the capital city Tallinn, 20% of currently working teachers are beyond the age of retirement. As the education personnel's salaries only attain to 84% of the national average income, the only solution is to try and solve these salary problems. However, the Government is not interested in doing that. The Coalition Contract includes the goal to establish fixed-term working contracts for teachers, which would only make matters worse. The Resolution on the Status of Teachers adopted at the congress of Education International firmly condems fixed-term contracts.
There is a complex situation with the salaries of teachers working in pre-school child care institutions: in various different regions of the country, these salaries differ up to 2 - 3 times.
In addition, we have several other serious issues, and these inhibit the further progress of education and the work of teachers in Estonia.
As the negotiations with the government failed and the Government did not even find it necessary to strive for a compromise, we decided to organise a one-day strike on December 4. Member organisations of TALO (35 000 members) will take part, including Estonian Education Personnel Union (15 000 members). On December 4, a demonstration of education and culture employees organised by TALO will take place in front of the Parliament in Tallinn.
EEPU's main demans are as follows:

to rise the minimal salary of teachers up to the average national income;

not to establish fixed-term working contracts for teachers;

to establish minimal salary rates for teachers working in pre-school child care institutions.