Estonia 1 (Tiia Kask)
	Report: Session 1 & 2

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Hi all the members of ISC,

We are glad to inform you that our group has a new member - Toomas Jüriaado.

He is working in Estonian Radio. He is very interesting and active person. He is involved in following non-govermental organisations: the Journalists Union of Estonia; The Estonian Ornithological Society; The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Estonian Fund for Nature; Estonian Green Movement; The Society of Estonian Popular Education Teachers; The Tartu Estonian-Norwegian Society e.t.c.

Now you can see the short summary of our discussions.

The changes in Estonia during last 7 years:

• After Soviet time two new problems arose for people – unemployment and competition, which made the situation of workers not secure.
• Unemployment has increased due to the privatisation process. Unemployment is of the high rate in the Southern part of Estonia, where the agriculture was the main area of business activities. New places of jobs have not been created except in Tallinn.
• The gap between rich and poor people is very big, and there are not so many people belonging to the middle, earning a reasonable pay to manage in the society. Most of people earn below average.
• Unemployment has also increased due to the cutting of expenditures of public sector.

It has caused the suffering of cultural activities and health of people living in the region.

• Enterprices have started to use high technology and therefore the places of jobs have decreased.
• Young families and retired people earn a very little pay, so it is hard to manage.
• Commercial activities have well-developed.
• External information is available for everybody.
• Information Technology is developing very fast.
• There are a lot of NGOs, foundations, parties, religious organisations.
• Estonian economy has fast development due to foreign investments – there are 27 $ per eash people in Estonia during last year.
• There is Social Dialogue – negotiations between government, employers and TU in Estonia.
• Public corruption

 

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS:
+ Positive aspects	- Negative Aspects
1. New workplaces	1. Decreasing the number of workplaces
2. New high technology	2. Monopoly
3. Development of economy	3. Extinction of national economy by TNC
4. Good working conditions	4. Bad working conditions
5. Environment	5. Environment
6. Experiences of TU from other countries	5. Unknown owners of the foreign company

How TU and NGOs can respond on investments by TNC and privatisation?

• to negotiate;
• to send out information;
• to increase awareness of workers;
• to aknowledge problems;
• to participate in the preparation works of legislation;
• to study the experiences of international experts, TU and NGOs;
• international solidarity.

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Reports for session 1 & 2:
Barbados 1 (Ulric Sealy)	Belgique 1 (Sabin Alexandre)	Bulgaria 1 (Julia Simeonova)
Estonia 1 (Tiia Kask)	France 1 (Jean-Dominique Delaveau)	Germany 1 (Juergen Sendler)
Great Britain 1 (Les Ford)	Great Britain 2 ()	Kenya 1 (Monica Musau)
Peru 1 - Lima (Juan Carlos Vargas Marin)	Peru 2 - Chimbote (Rocio Campana)	South Africa 1 (Martin Jansen)
Sweden 1 (Ola Nicklasson)	Sweden 3 (Ake Dahl)

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