Celebration for Estonian dockers.

Celebration for Estonian dockers.

http://www.dockers-seafarers.org/blog/celebration-estonian-dockers

Good news for dockers working for Transiidikeskuse AS in Tallinn, Estonia have finally been granted their Christmas bonus……..from 2012!

The employer didn't give workers their bonus saying it was because one of their team had been involved in an accident. The union considered this to be discrimination but their approaches to the company were unsuccessful so they pursued the case through the courts.

Now the court has ruled in favour of the workers saying that it's not acceptable for employers to collectively punish their workforce. They said the actions of the employer were against the principles of equal treatment.

 

 ESIU or EMSA VICTORY!

http://www.emsa.ee/et/töövaidlused/15800

Transiidikeskuse AS kohtusaaga sai õnneliku lõpu

 

The court saga of Transiidikeskuse AS got happy ending.

Little bit about history. On December 2012 employer did not pay Christmas bonus to one of his working team, because one member of the working team made an accident before. The employer used so-called collective punishment, although rest of the working team members were not guilty in this accident. When the workers turned to us with their problem, we found that the employer was discriminating his workers and that this working team has all the rights to get Christmas bonus like the rest of the workers in this firm. As the employer did not share our opinion, we turned to court, which finally gave right to us.

This judgement has marginal meaning not only to us, but also to all workers of Estonia. With this got clear, that the law of equal treatment must apply more widely and although this law includes criterions, which count as unequal treatment, then an employment relationship must count other circumstances too. The court found that if most workers get Christmas bonus and there was no objective ground for personal punishment, also the rest of workers have to get it despite where they were working at the same time when accident accrued caused by member of their shift or not. . Collective punishment is not anymore allowed in now day’s employment relationships and doing so employer violates the principle of equal treatment.