Postimees Digest, Thursday, February 21
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Postimees
Editorial: what’s lacking in Estonian trade unions?
Does it matter who gets elected president of Estonian Trade Union Confederation (EAKL)at today’s elections? Well, a large part of our tax money is directed by Health Insurance Fund and unemployment insurance fund (Töötukassa). EAKL’s president sits in the council of both. He is an important person in all matters that come down to three-party talks between contactors, employers, and government.
European Commission launches EA state aid investigation.
The commission's press service issued a statement yesterday, according to which the commission has doubts as to the conformity of measures employed to support Estonian Air with EU state aid regulations. While the press release mainly concerns the government's recent 8.3 million euro operating capital made available to the airline, the commission also referenced prior capital injections and expressed doubts as to their conformity.
The national airline has received a total of three capital injections as it received 7.3 million euros in 2009, 19.9 million euros in 2010 and another 30 million euros in 2011-2012. The EC was not notified of these transactions at the time. The government has decided to postpone its EA reorganization plan discussion, scheduled for today, by another week.
People more satisfied with health care.
A survey ordered by the Ministry of Social Affairs last fall suggests that people's satisfaction with the health care system is on the rise as 78 percent of people questioned said the quality of medical care is rather good or good while 67 percent were satisfied with health care organization. People listed as positive the family medicine system and the chance it offers to choose your own doctor, good service and pleasant attitudes and digital prescriptions and criticized long treatment queues, high fees, especially for dental care, and the general availability of medical services.
Third of truck drivers in breach of regulations.
A recent police raid that checked 478 trucks came across 175 violations and proceedings were launched in case of every third truck driver pulled over.
"The results are still bad," said commissary of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) traffic service Priit Tuuna. While officers only came across a single drunk driver and speeder, the majority of violations concerned mandatory rest time and roadworthiness of vehicles. Drivers often blamed employers and said they need to follow orders to keep their job. "A driver cannot comply with an illegal work order and if he does he is willingly adopting responsibility," Tuuna said. The commissary added that the police will deal with both drivers and companies they work for.
EE loses more market share than anticipated.
Domestic energy giant Eesti Energia has lost 17 percent of market share over the course of Estonia's switch to open market electricity over the past year. The company's market share has come down from 88 percent in January last year to 71 percent a year on. Subsidiary of Latvia's Latvenergo, Elektrum, managed to take the biggest bite out of the recent monopoly's pie as its market share now comes to 10.6 percent, followed by Viru Keemia Grupp and the Baltic Energy Service both at 3.1 percent.
New Estonian movie: rocks you like roller-coaster
Today’s the premiere (Elavad pildid), a historical drama by Hardi Volmer telling the story of dwellers in a house, throughout 20th century. At that, paying homage to history of film, presenting each era in its own movie-style.
Mr Volmer admits the work is an ambitious one. «Professionally speaking, it’s quite a case, makes one stagger. I don’t think it was fun for the makers of it, but I just craved for the challenge, you know. Tried to have a good time doing it. Why grit the teeth and sweat it out. But then again – it was no easy job.»