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Miinimumpalk
Termin „miinimumpalk“ viitab mitmesugustele regulatiivpiirangutele seoses väikseima töötasuga, mida tööandjad maksavad töötajatele. Seadusjärgset miinimumpalka reguleerivad ametlikud õigusaktid või põhimäärused. Kollektiivselt kokkulepitud miinimumid on sätestatud ametiühingute ja tööandjate vahelistes kollektiivlepingutes.
The EU Minimum Wage Directive aims to achieve a collective bargaining coverage of 80%. However, not all collective agreements regulate workers’ pay and in some cases pay rates remain outdated...
From January to June 2024, Eurofound supports the work of Belgium's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.
A carefully selected panel of agreements with reliable time series of negotiated wage rates for 2015 to 2022 was created for 20 countries with sufficient data.
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ELi taust
Enamik ELi liikmesriike on kehtestanud seadusjärgse riikliku miinimumpalga, kuigi selle tase, kohandamismehhanismid ja ulatus on erinevad. Austria, Itaalia, Rootsi, Soome ja Taani on kehtestanud miinimumpalgad kollektiivlepingutega, samas on Küpros kehtestanud seadusejärgsed palgamäärad eri kutsealadele.
ELi institutsioonid kuulutasid 2017. aasta novembris ühiselt välja Euroopa sotsiaalõiguste samba, milles sätestati ELi kohustus tagada töötajatele õiglane töötasu. See hõlmab töötajatele piisava töötasu tagamist, mis võimaldab neile ja nende perekondadele inimväärse elatustaseme, madala kvalifikatsiooniga ja noorte töötajate tööhõivevõimaluste kaitsmist ning samas töö muutmist rahaliselt atraktiivseks.
2019. aasta detsembris ametisse asunud Euroopa Komisjoni uus koosseis kordas kõnealust kohustust, võttes päevakorda miinimumpalga reformimise ELi algatuse. Komisjoni visioon tugevast sotsiaalsest Euroopast valmistab ette sotsiaalõigustesamba rakendamise tegevuskava. Pärast sotsiaalpartneritega veebruaris ja juunis peetud kaht konsultatsioonivooru esitas komisjon 28. oktoobril 2020 ettepaneku võtta vastu ELi direktiiv piisava miinimumpalga kohta. Eesmärk on, et 2024. aastaks peaksid kõik ELi töötajad saama õiglast ja piisavat töötasu, olenemata sellest, kus nad elavad.
· Peaaegu kõigis liikmesriikides on miinimumpalga saajad valdavalt naised, olenemata sellest, kuidas miinimumpalga saajad on määratletud.
· Kümnendik ELi töötajatest teenis 2017. aastal miinimumpalka (u 10%).
· 2019. aastal arutlesid paljud ELi riigid miinimumpalga täiendava olulise suurendamise üle pärast 2020. aastat, osaliselt seoses suhtelise sihtmärgiga, osaliselt absoluutarvudes.
· Alates aastatuhande vahetusest on seadusjärgsed miinimumpalgad muutunud õiglasemaks kui muud töötajate töötasud (kui võrrelda seadusjärgset miinimumpalka kõigi töötajate mediaanpalgaga).
· Vaatamata tõusvale trendile on miinimumpalk enamikus riikides endiselt alla 60% või isegi alla 50% mediaanpalgast. See kehtib eelkõige Kesk- ja Ida-Euroopa liikmesriikide kohta, kes alustasid väga madalatest suhtelistest tasemetest aastatuhande alguses ja kellel on miinimumpalga õigusaktide sihtmärgid endiselt ligikaudu 50% või vähem.
· Kokku teatab 7 palgatöötajat 10st vähemalt mõningastest toimetulekuraskustest, samas teatab sellest alla 5 muu kui palgatööta 10st. Need arvud on riigiti siiski väga erinevad. Näiteks on miinimumpalgaga töötajaid, kellel on raske või väga raske, Rootsis, Saksamaal, Soomes ja Taanis alla 10%, Bulgaarias, Horvaatias ja Küprosel 50–60% ning Kreekas 80%.
· Valitsused kogu Euroopas reageerivad olukorrale, võttes sissetuleku stabiliseerimise meetmeid, et aidata neid, keda COVID-19 kriis kahjustas. Miinimumpalgal võib olla roll sissetulekute stabiliseerimise poliitikameetmete kombinatsioonis ning seega võib selle kaudu aidata tõkestada majanduslanguse ja majandussurutise allakäiguspiraali.
· Eurofoundi andmebaasist „EU PolicyWatch“ selgub ka, et valitsused viitavad sissetulekutoetuse taseme ülemise või alumise lävendi määramisel sageli seadusejärgsele miinimumpalgale, näiteks lühendatud tööaja korral.
· COVID-19 pandeemia mõjutab tugevalt eelkõige sektoreid ja ameteid, kus miinimumpalgaga töötajate osakaal on suurem, sh põllumajandustöötajad (sektoris on 15% miinimumpalgaga töötajaid ja ligikaudu 20% mõne põllumajandustegevuse korral), jaekaubandustöötajad (13%) ning koristajad ja abilised (25%), kes aitavad ühiskonnal toimida sotsiaalse distantseerumise ja liikumispiirangu ajal.
· Teised sektorid ja ametid, kus miinimumpalgaga töötajate osakaal on suurem – eelkõige majutuse ja külalismajanduse töötajad (16%), kunsti, meelelahutuse, huvitegevuse või koduteenuste sektori töötajad (14%) või isiklikke teenuseid osutavad töötajad (16%) – olid nende hulgas, kes kogesid rahvatervishoiu meetmete mõju kohe COVID-19 pandeemia alguses.
Infographic: Minimum wages in the EU
Most EU Member States have a statutory minimum wage. But its level, adjustment mechanisms and coverage vary.
Eurofound’s e-survey on Living, working and COVID-19 shows that nearly half of households are struggling to make ends meet.
Eurofound provides regular updates on pay in the EU, including an annual study on how minimum wage rates have developed across the EU (as well as Norway and the UK), reviewing how national governments and social partners engage in setting new rates. It also looks at the concept of a living wage, aimed at guaranteeing workers and their families a decent level of living and social participation in response to the inadequacy of income for many working households reliant on existing statutory minimum wage rates.
Pay developments
The annual review on minimum wages for 2023 summarises how minimum wage rates were set during 2022.
In an earlier study on pay in Europe in the 21st century , Eurofound explored the implications of a hypothetical scenario of a minimum wage coordinated at EU level and set at 60% of the median national wage.
COVID-19 is likely to impact the ongoing minimum wage debate, as many workers delivering essential services during the pandemic are at the bottom of the pay ladder, like workers in retail, food-supply chains or care roles. Others low-wage workers, like workers in the accommodation and food sector, or in leisure and entertainment services, have been the first affected by unemployment. With unemployment on the rise, it will be important to see how minimum wages can contribute to the policy mix governments and social partners are currently applying to cushion the economic and social impacts. Eurofound’s e-survey on Living, working and COVID-19 shows that nearly half of households are already struggling to make ends meet. Minimum wages could play a policy role in stabilising incomes.
Most EU countries have a statutory minimum wage. A related but distinct concept is that of a living wage, which is a wage designed to secure a basic but acceptable standard of living for its earner (and, in some cases, household dependents). The living wage rate is based on a detailed, regularly updated costing of the basic services and goods required for such a standard of living and is intended in part to reflect the inadequacy of prevailing statutory minima for that end. Living wage campaigns are generally voluntary and rely on coalitions of interest groups, trade unions and employers working together. These campaigns can take on an advocacy role (Ireland) as well as an accreditation role (UK) where organisations are formally accredited as living wage employers. In line with the fair wage provisions set out in the Social Pillar, Eurofound research aims to provide policymakers with a practical guide to the living wage concept.
Most EU Member States have a statutory national minimum wage in place, although its level, adjustment mechanisms and coverage vary. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden have minimum wages set within collective agreements, while Cyprus has statutory rates for different occupations.
The EU institutions jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights in November 2017, setting out the EU’s commitment to fair wages for workers. This includes ensuring adequate wages for workers to allow them and their families to have a decent standard of living, safeguarding the ability of the low-skilled and young workers to find employment, while also making work financially attractive.
The new European Commission, which took office in December 2019, reiterated this commitment, putting a reform initiative for an EU minimum wage on the agenda. The Commission’s vision for a strong social Europe prepares the way for an Action Plan to implement the Social Pillar. On 28 October 2020, the Commission put forward a proposal for an EU Directive on adequate minimum wages. This was followed by a political agreement between the European Parliament and the Member States on 7 June 2022. The Minimum Wages Directive was adopted in October 2022. The aim is that by 2024 all workers in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.
In this pilot project, Eurofound successfully established the feasibility of, and piloted, an EU-wide database of minimum pay rates contained in collective agreements related to low-paid workers. A conceptual and...
In the EU, non-compliance with statutory or negotiated minimum wages averages 6.93% or 1.3%, depending on the statistics used. The lowest national estimate is 0.01% in Belgium and the highest...
Miinimumpalga 2023. aasta ülevaade koostati enneolematu üleeuroopalise inflatsiooni kontekstis. Kuigi see tõi paljudes riikides kaasa nominaalpalkade märkimisväärse tõusu, ei piisanud sellest sageli, et säilitada töötajate ostujõud. Viimase kümnendi arengute põhjal...
Aruanne koostatakse kolmeaastase katseprojekti (2021–2023) „Miinimumpalga roll üldise töögarantii kehtestamisel“ raames, mille Euroopa Komisjon on delegeerinud Eurofoundile. See keskendub projekti 3. moodulile, milles uuritakse miinimumpalka ja füüsilisest isikust ettevõtjate muid...
This series reports on developments in minimum wage rates across the EU, including how they are set and how they have developed over time in nominal and real terms. The...
Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and...
Blog
Toimuv tegevus
Eurofound annab korrapäraselt teavet palkade kohta ELis, sealhulgas iga-aastase uuringu kohta, milles käsitletakse miinimumpalga määra arengut kogu ELis (samuti Norras ja Ühendkuningriigis), ning kontrollib, kuidas liikmesriikide valitsused ja sotsiaalpartnerid osalevad uute määrade kehtestamisel. Selles vaadeldakse ka mõistet „äraelamist võimaldava töötasu“, mille eesmärk on tagada töötajatele ja nende peredele inimväärne elatustase ja ühiskonnaelus osalemine vastusena paljude töötavate leibkondade ebapiisavale sissetulekule, mis sõltub kehtivatest seadusjärgsetest miinimumpalga määradest.
Palgamuutused
2021. aasta miinimumpalga aastaülevaates võetakse kokku, kuidas kehtestati miinimumpalga määrad 2020. aastal – COVID-19 pandeemia puhkemise aastal. Aruandes on ülevaade liikmesriikide otsustajate kogetud raskustest ning sellest, kuidas nad reageerisid miinimumpalgaga seotud otsuste tegemisel pandeemiast majanduslikest ja ühiskondlikest tagajärgedest tulenevatele probleemidele. Selles kaardistatakse, mil määral viidati miinimumpalkadele COVID-19 pandeemiaga seotud toetusmeetmetes. Selles käsitletakse piisavat miinimumpalka käsitleva ELi algatuse arengut ning ELi tasandi sotsiaalpartnerite ja riiklike otsustajate reaktsioone.
Varasemas uuringus Euroopa palkade kohta 21. sajandil uuris Eurofound hüpoteetilise stsenaariumi mõju, mille kohaselt ELi tasandil koordineeritud miinimumpalk on 60% riiklikust mediaanpalgast.
COVID-19 mõjutab tõenäoliselt toimuvat arutelu miinimumpalga üle, sest paljud pandeemia ajal olulisi teenuseid osutavad töötajad on palgaastme alumises osas, nt jaemüügi- ja toiduainete tarneahelate töötajad või hooldajad. Esimesena mõjutas töötus teisi madalapalgalisi töötajaid, nt majutus- ja toitlustussektori töötajaid ning ajaviite- ja meelelahutusteenuste osutajaid. Seoses tööpuuduse kasvuga on oluline näha, kuidas miinimumpalgad aitavad kaasa poliitikameetmete kombinatsioonile, mida valitsused ja sotsiaalpartnerid kohaldavad praegu majanduslike ja sotsiaalsete mõjude leevendamiseks. Eurofoundi e-uuring „ Elamine, töötamine ja COVID-19“ näitab, et peaaegu pooled leibkonnad on juba toimetulekuraskustes. Miinimumpalgal võiks olla poliitikas roll sissetulekute stabiliseerimisel.
Enamikul Euroopa Liidu liikmesriikidel on seadusjärgne miinimumpalk. Äraelamist võimaldav töötasu on seotud, kuid erinev mõiste. See on palk, mis tagab palgatöötajale (ja mõnel juhul ka leibkonna ülalpeetavatele) elementaarse, kuid vastuvõetava elatustaseme. Äraelamist võimaldava töötasu määr põhineb sellise elatustaseme saavutamiseks vajalike põhiteenuste ja -kaupade üksikasjalikul, korrapäraselt ajakohastatud kulude arvestamisel ning see on kavandatud osaliselt selleks, et kajastada kehtivate seadusjärgsete miinimumpalkade ebapiisavust selliste eesmärkide saavutamiseks. Äraelamist võimaldava töötasu kampaaniad on üldiselt vabatahtlikud ning tuginevad huvirühmade, ametiühingute ja tööandjate koalitsioonide koostööle. Need kampaaniad võivad täita nii toetavat rolli (Iirimaa) kui ka akrediteerimisrolli (Ühendkuningriik), kus organisatsioonid akrediteeritakse ametlikult äraelamist võimaldavat töötasu maksvate tööandjatena. Eurofoundi uurimistegevuse eesmärk on anda poliitikakujundajatele praktiline juhend mõiste „äraelamist võimaldava töötasu“ kohta, mis on kooskõlas sotsiaalõiguste samba õiglase töötasu sätetega.
Eurofound viib Euroopa Parlamendi ja komisjoni palvel läbi katseprojekti, mis käsitleb ELi miinimumpalga muutusi aastatel 2021–2023. Lisateave on allpool jaotises „Praegune tegevus“.
Christine Aumayr-Pintar is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. Her current research topics include minimum wages, collectively agreed wages and gender...
Carlos Vacas Soriano is a research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. He works on topics related to wage and income inequalities, minimum wages, low pay, job quality...
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The 2024 annual review of minimum wages presents the most recent rates of national minimum wages and recalls how they were set and agreed upon during 2023. It includes information on minimum wages set in sectoral collective agreements in countries without national minimum wages.
A carefully selected panel of agreements with reliable time series of negotiated wage rates for 2015 to 2022 was created for 20 countries with sufficient data.
Eurofound selected a sample of 692 agreements to be included with complete information (fully coded) in the database on minimum wage rates in collective agreements related to low-paid workers.