Estonian interior minister supports raising rescuers' pay

TALLINN - The union of Estonian rescue workers is organizing campaigns across the country to gain support for a pay rise and Interior Minister Andres Anvelt affirmed that he supports the wish of rescuers and will ask nearly 9.5 million euros from the state budget to cover it.

The union held a discussion on the topic of rescuers' salaries on Tuesday. The event was attended by around 50 representatives of rescuers and nearly 80 percent of all rescue units were represented.

Rescuers want their salary to raise to the level of the national average.

Anvelt affirmed that he supports raising rescuers' salaries. He added that he intends to ask for 9.41 million euros to be allocated from next year's state budget to raise the basic salary of rescuers by 23.8 percent.

This January the basic monthly gross salary of rescuers, that is without additional remuneration, was 808 euros. In the fourth quarter of last year the average monthly gross salary was 1,271 euros in Estonia.

Rescuers are planning to organize campaigns across Estonia and will also introduce the topic to all parties so that the issue of rescuers' salaries would be cross-party.