PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies

The EU strives for the upward convergence of its Member States, where their performance improves and gaps between them decrease. Nearly a decade after the Great Recession, the COVID-19 crisis has again put this objective under pressure. Thi...

Agreement has still not been reached over the draft of the much-anticipated Employees’ Representatives Act (*EE0512101N* [1]), despite tripartite meetings and other activities initiated by the Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions (Eesti Ametiühingute Keskliit, EAKL [2]). The confederation has warned the Ministry of Social Affairs (Sotsiaalministeerium [3]) that the bill will impact negatively on the rights of trade unions [4] and employees [5]. For their part, the Ministry insists that the draft Act will, in fact, increase the rights of all employees. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/disputes-over-a-new-employees-representatives-act [2] http://www.eakl.ee/ [3] http://www.sm.ee/eng/pages/index.html [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/trade-unions [5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/employee

On 8 Feburary 2006, the Estonian parliament (Riigikogu [1]) ratified amendments to the Employment Contracts Act, abolishing all articles permitting the discrimination [2] of older workers on the basis of their age. *The act, which came into force in 1992 and which has been under discussion for some time (* *EE0405103F* [3]*), permitted the* dismissal [4] *of employees aged over 65 years, merely on the basis of their age and on being entitled to a pension.* In line with the amendments, the Employment Contracts Act protects older workers against dismissals in the same way as it protects all other employees. [1] http://www.riigikogu.ee/ [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/discrimination [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/employmentwork-contracts-examined [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/search/node/areas OR industrialrelations OR dictionary OR definitions OR dismissals?oldIndex