THE AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLE DRIVERS IN TALLINN WILL INCREASE BY 12%
AS Tallinna Linnatransport, Estonian Transport and Road Workers; Trade Union (ETRWTU), and Estonian Railway Workers; Trade Unions (ERWTU) signed the 2023 collective agreement. This means that from January 1, the capital’s public transport drivers will receive the biggest salary increase in recent years.
TLT Manager Kaido Padar thanked the trade union and their representatives for smooth cooperation. “It is good to note that during the negotiations, both of us have reached the middle ground and come to a consensus. An annual review of pay and working conditions lets employees know that we value the contribution of each team member. Thus, in 2023, the average remuneration of public transport drivers will increase by 10%, the hourly rate by 12%, and the salary of employees cleaning rolling stock, office premises, production premises, and bus cabins by up to 12%. The provision of high-quality public transport service can only take place with the joint support of all of us, and in this way, we prioritize the well-being and motivation of employees,” confirms TLT board member Kaido Padar, adding that this is the biggest salary increase in recent years.
According to Andrei Vorobjov, trustee of the Estonian Railway Workers’ Trade Unions, in the new collective agreement, attention has been paid not only to salary issues but also to other points related to the welfare of employees. “In addition to the workload and salary figure, we have also paid special attention to training. The focus is also on the health of employees, which means that from January 1, public transport drivers will be compensated up to 65 euros from the cost of eyeglasses,” explained Andrei Vorobjov.
According to Sergei Logvinenko, a trustee of the Estonian Transport and Road Workers’ Trade Union, the major change also affects those employees who until now had less than 35 days of vacation per year. “Since it is important for us to treat employees equally in terms of social guarantees, we decided to standardize vacations, and from now on, the annual vacation for all TLT employees is 35 days a year,” said Logvinenko.
The company employs more than 2,100 people, of whom nearly 1,400 are bus, trolley bus, and tram drivers. TLT’s rolling stock includes approximately 550 buses, 65 trams, and 45 trolley buses. In addition, three school buses and 36 social transport vehicles.