Jaak Aaviksoo promises pay increase for teachers

TALLINN - Estonian Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said teachers can expect that their salaries would be increased in 2013, the Estonian national broadcasting corporation ERR reports. However, Aaviksoo did not notify the precise amount.

"We're working on it. We will definitely make more specific proposal before the teachers' strike begins," Aaviksoo said at a Cabinet press conference on Feb. 24.

According to the minister, the current union demands are too taxing and any government proposals may not appease them, writes LETA.

As reported, Estonian education ministry announced that the total cost of demands made by Estonian Education Workers who plan to hold a major strike on March 7-9 is at least 69 million euros, which are considerably above schools budgets.

The Estonian Education Workers Union (EWU) announced on Tuesday that a nationwide strike of teachers will take place on March 7-9 where around 12,000 people would participate; their main demand will be that teachers' minimum wages be increased by 20 percent this year as the minimum rates are at the 2008 level.

Education ministry's calculations show that the cost of the main demands of the strikers will be 69 million euros this year, 123 million euros next year and 172 million euros the year after.