NordenBladet — At the cabinet meeting, the Government approved the extension of the regulation governing sickness benefits starting from the second day of illness, and Minister of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik will submit a proposal to Parliament, on behalf of the Government, to initiate the corresponding amendments to the law. The regulation is temporary and is planned to remain in force from 1 January – 30 April 2021.
Pursuant to the draft that was approved by the Government, it shall be specified that the employee deductible for the compensation of sick days shall be reduced to one day instead of the previous three days. In addition, the responsibility of employers to pay sickness benefits will change, with employers now being responsible for reimbursing employees for 70 per cent of the employee’s average salary between the second and fifth days of illness. At the same time, the liability of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund will increase, henceforth being responsible for compensating the costs of sickness benefits starting from the sixth day of illness.
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas stated that the spread of the coronavirus in Estonia is epidemic in nature and that the state, employees and employers must each do everything possible to make the impact of the virus on human health and the Estonian economy less devastating. ‘The coronavirus is no longer spreading through clusters of outbreaks in Estonia, having instead taken on the form of a fully-fledged epidemic, with infection being possible everywhere. Which is why a common effort by everyone is critical. The Government is expanding the regulation of sickness benefits so that employees can stay at home even when experiencing only mild symptoms of illnesses, without fear of a loss of income for the first few days of the illness. This regulation is essential in order to keep our economic circulation going even during the conditions of the coronavirus epidemic.’
The compensation of sick days from the second day onwards helps to maintain workers’ incomes in the event of illness, reduces the risk of people who are ill going to work, and thus limits the spread of COVID-19.
‘We now see that the focal points of infections are often workplaces. Moving up the compensation period for sick days allows people to stay at home at the onset of the first symptoms, without experiencing a significant loss in their income as a result’, said Minister of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik. ‘In order to limit the spread of the disease, it is important that the amendment allows compensation to be paid to close contacts of infected people under the same conditions’.
The new regulation is planned to apply to compensation for incapacity for work issued from 1 January through 30 April 2020.
NordenBladet — The Government proposes that the legislative amendments relating to the unemployment benefit of laid-off employees and entrepreneurs, and the activities of Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE Offices) be partly continued. The temporary amendments aim to safeguard the livelihoods of laid-off employees and entrepreneurs and to facilitate the handling of unemployment security matters amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.
The Government submitted the proposal to Parliament on 19 November 2020. Some of the temporary amendments, which are set to expire at the end of 2020, would be extended. The government proposal is included in the supplementary budget proposal for 2021.
Laid-off employees can study without losing unemployment securityLaid-off employees have had a temporary right to study full-time without the studies having an effect on their unemployment benefit. The Government proposes that the amendment remain in force until 31 December 2021. The amendment will apply to those laid off on or after 16 March 2020.
The amendment will help laid-off employees, who work and study, to apply for and receive unemployment benefit during the lay-off, because the TE Office does not assess whether the studies are of full-time or part-time nature.
Entrepreneurs to receive labour market support until end of March
Entrepreneurs have been temporarily entitled to labour market support if full-time work in the company has ended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government proposes that the provision remain in force until 31 March 2021.
In order to receive labour market support, a person must register as a jobseeker with the TE Office and the TE Office must issue a labour policy statement on their entitlement to labour market support to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). Kela has paid labour market support to approximately 42,500 entrepreneurs in April–September 2020.
Flexibility in the tasks of TE Offices helps avoid backlogs
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, TE Offices have been able to organise periodic interviews with jobseekers more flexibly than usual. Interviews have only been arranged at the start of the job search with jobseekers with a special need for an interview. The Government proposes that the amendment remain in force until 31 January 2021.
In addition, the provision under which unemployed jobseekers will not lose their right to unemployment benefit due to the failure to implement the employment plan will be extended until 31 January 2021.
NordenBladet — To curb the spread of COVID-19, the activities of food and beverage services businesses, that is restaurants, bars and cafes, will be restricted depending on the epidemiological situation in the region. The main rule is that, in the five regions where the COVID-19 epidemic has reached the acceleration phase, food and beverage service businesses must continue to follow tighter restrictions than the rest of the country. These restrictions apply to the regions of Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Kanta-Häme and Ostrobothnia.
The government decree on the matter will enter into force on 20 November 2020.Same restrictions will apply to Ostrobothnia as to other regions in acceleration phaseThe COVID-19 epidemic has calmed down in Ostrobothnia, and at the moment, the region is no longer in the community transmission phase but in the acceleration phase. The current phase was determined based on the opinions from the Vaasa Hospital District and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
The food and beverage service businesses operating in Ostrobothnia will therefore be subject to the same restrictions as the food and beverage service businesses in Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Kanta-Häme and Pirkanmaa, all of which are currently in the acceleration phase. This means that in Ostrobothnia, as in the other regions in the acceleration phase, businesses must stop serving alcoholic beverages by 22.00. Businesses that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may be open between 24.00 and 23.00. Other food and beverage service businesses may be open between 1.00 and 24.00. In Ostrobothnia, too, other food and beverage service businesses may stay open to customers for two hours after licensing hours have ended starting on 20 November 2020. In addition, food and beverage service businesses operating in the regions where the epidemic has reached the acceleration phase will be allowed to seat only half of their normal number of customers inside their establishments. Provisions on the restrictions on the activities of food and beverage service businesses are laid down in section 58a of the Communicable Diseases Act. This temporary section will remain in force until 28 February 2021. Further provisions on restrictions are issued by government decree.They lay down provisions on the restrictions concerning the opening and licencing hours of food and beverage service businesses by region and type of restaurant. The aim of the restrictions to be imposed based on the epidemiological situation in the region is to reduce people’s social contacts in premises and situations where the COVID-19 disease is known to spread effectively.
The restrictions will remain in force only for as long as it is necessary, but no longer than until 15 December 2020.
NordenBladet — Finland allocates EUR 3.1 million to Finnish civil society organisations’ projects that are implemented in response to the humanitarian needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has exacerbated ongoing humanitarian crises and forced new regions and population groups to seek emergency relief.“Civil society organisations play an important role in humanitarian work. The coronavirus pandemic has accentuated the importance of their role,” says Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari. “Civil society organisations know the local operating environments well. They have the capacity to react promptly and effectively modify ongoing projects in order to alleviate the distress and suffering caused by the pandemic”.Finnish organisations and their local partners will use the funding granted by the Foreign Ministry to various purposes, including disseminating information about the prevention of coronavirus infections, improving access to clean water, offering treatment for COVID-19 patients, strengthening food security in communities, and supporting safe reopening of schools. More than 200,000 people in Yemen, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe benefit from these projects.Funding will be directed to Fida International, Finn Church Aid, Save the Children Finland, Plan Finland, Finnish Red Cross and World Vision Finland. These organisations are the Foreign Ministry’s regular partners in humanitarian action. Earlier in the year, the Ministry has allocated EUR 10 million to the work of these CSOs.
NordenBladet — On 20 November 2020, Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen will attend an unofficial meeting via video connection for the EU Defence Ministers and, in addition, the Steering Board meeting of the European Defence Agency (EDA).
The agenda of the unofficial meeting includes a strategic evaluation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the process of strategic evaluation and steering of EU security and defence cooperation called a “Strategic Compass”.
The Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) will be presented at the Steering Board meeting and EDA’s first post-Brexit budget and a three-year work plan will be discussed.
NordenBladet — The purpose of the reform of the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings is to improve the interaction between employers and personnel and to create a framework for developing the company and the work community. The reform would improve employees’ access to information and their opportunity to exercise influence. The report of the tripartite working group on the Government proposal will be circulated for comments between 19 November 2020 and 15 January 2021.
The new Act on Co-operation within Undertakings would consist of three entities:Continuous dialogue between employer and employeesNegotiations in changing circumstances (change negotiations)Personnel representation in company administrationThe Act on Co-operation within Undertakings would continue to apply to companies and organisations employing at least 20 persons. The provisions on employee representation in company administration would apply to companies with at least 150 employees in Finland.
Continuous dialogue to develop the company and work communityThe working group proposes a new practice for developing the relationship between the employer and employees in the long term. The employer and the employee representative should have regular interaction at least quarterly, unless they have agreed otherwise. The practical ways of implementing the dialogue would be agreed at workplaces.The continuous dialogue could address, among other things, the financial situation of the company or organisation, rules and practices of the workplace, structure of personnel, and needed skills and well-being of employees.
As part of the dialogue, the employer would create, in cooperation with the employee representative, a work community development plan, based on which the personnel’s skills and well-being would be developed and improved.A larger role for employee representatives in change negotiationsBefore the employer makes a decision on matters that have a significant effect on the employees, such as reductions in workforce, the employer must consult the employees or employee representatives. In the amended Act, this negotiation process would be called change negotiations.The right of the employee representative to make proposals and propose alternative solutions would improve. In addition, the Act would specify the time when the negotiations must start.The continuous dialogue and change negotiations would form an interrelated continuum. Possible developments could be discussed during the continuous dialogue even before the change negotiations, which would improve the flow of information and the premise of the negotiations. Similarly, the continuous dialogue would play an important role in the further processing of changes after the change negotiations had ended.
Specifications to employee representation in company administrationThe representation of employees in the company administration promotes the flow of information and allows the personnel’s expertise to contribute to the decision-making in the company.
Provisions on employee representation would be transferred to the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings. Employees should be represented in the body of the company or organisation, which effectively deals with important business matters, finances and personnel issues. Employee representatives would have the right to receive training in order to perform their duties as an employee representative in the body.
Government aims to increase trust in the labour market
The purpose of the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings is to improve the company’s operations and the employees’ ability to influence decisions made in the company concerning their work, working conditions and position. The current act has been in force for more than ten years, and its functionality has been evaluated numerous times. Many in working life feel that the act no longer fulfils its objectives.According to the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government, the legislation on cooperation will be amended in structure and in substance in order to improve the trust between employers and employees.
The task of the tripartite working group was to examine whether the current Act on Co-operation within Undertakings meets the present and expected needs of working life and to submit proposals for legislative amendments. The working group prepared a report drawn up in the form of a government proposal, which will be circulated for comments between 19 November 2020 and 15 January 2021. The report includes a dissenting opinion from the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, a supplementary statement from the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) and a supplementary statement from the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Akava).
NordenBladet — The Bill on amendments to the State Pension Insurance Act and other acts passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. The purpose of the Bill is to decrease poverty among the elderly and to raise their subsistence and welfare.
According to the Bill (253 SE), initiated by the Government, the base amount of the national first pillar pension will be increased by additional 16 euro on 1 April 2021. The pension rise will concern around 320,000 people. The pension supplement for rearing children will also be increased. This will concern around 203,000 people. For example, a pensioner who has two children will receive a pension supplement of 7.104 euro. The Bill will increase the rate of national pension by 30 euro. This will concern slightly more than 3000 people.
In the course of the second reading, several amendments were made to the Bill. For example, the periods that would be used as the bases for the calculation of the insurance part and the combined part of the sum of the insurance components were defined. Equal bases were provided for for the calculation of the old-age pension of the old-age pensioners with respect to whom there are no data on individually registered social tax due to employment abroad. When a person assumes employment in Estonia, his or her old-age pension should be recalculated and it may decrease. In the future, the payment of old-age pension will be continued in the current amount in such cases. An amendment was also made according to which the Social Insurance Board will be able to supplement the pension calculator with the data of the second pension pillar to which it has no access under the current law. According to an amendment, in the future a person will receive more information on his or her data entered in his or her pension account and the data relating thereto.
During the debate, Aivar Kokk (Isamaa), Helmen Kütt (Social Democratic Party) and Keit Pentus-Rosimannus (Reform Party) took the floor.
The Riigikogu passed two Acts
The Act on the Ratification of the Agreement on the Amendment and Termination of the Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Government of the Republic of Estonia on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (240 SE), initiated by the Government.
The Act provides for the ratification of the agreement on the amendment and termination of the agreement between the Estonian and Swedish Governments on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, which will be concluded by exchanging notes after the adoption of the Act on ratification in the Riigikogu.
The agreement between Estonia and Sweden was signed in Stockholm on 31 March 1992 and it entered into force on 20 May 1992. With its note of 27 February this year, Sweden proposed to Estonia to amend the agreement and to terminate it. The Agreement must be amended before it is terminated, because it provides that, in respect of investments made during the time that it is in force, the Agreement remains in force for twenty years after the termination of the Agreement. Termination of the agreement is necessary in order to ensure that investors from all EU Member States are accorded equal treatment based on European Union legislation.
90 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passing of the Act.
The Act on the Ratification of the Agreement for the Termination of Bilateral Investment Treaties between the Member States of the European Union (218 SE), initiated by the Government.
The purpose of the Agreement for the termination of bilateral investment treaties between the EU Member States is to terminate the intra-EU bilateral investment treaties in a coordinated manner. There are approximately 300 bilateral investment treaties in force between EU Member States. When the treaties concluded, their aim was to promote investments by offering mutual guarantees against political risks that may have a negative impact on investments.
After the accession to the EU, the Member States no longer need such additional guarantees because similar EU single market rules, including ones concerning cross-border investments, apply in regard to all Member States. According to the case law of the European Court of Justice, the possibility of access to arbitral tribunals as provided in the treaties is not in conformity with EU law.
The agreement terminates eight of the twelve intra-EU investment protection treaties Estonia has concluded. They are with Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Germany and the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union.
The treaties with Finland and Sweden will be terminated bilaterally. Austria has also announced that it wishes to conclude the bilateral agreements on termination with the Member States with whom Austria has investment protection treaties in force. It is not definitely clear yet what will become of the agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Estonian Government for the Promotion and Protection of Investments. This will become clear in the process of the UK exiting the EU.
88 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passing of the Act.
Three other Bills passed the second reading
The Bill on Amendments to § 28 the Citizenship Act (217 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the Act by including commission of serious criminal offences against the state as a new ground for deprivation of citizenship. Section 28 of the Act will be amended by adding a new subsection under which the Government may deprive a person of Estonian citizenship if a judgment of conviction in treason, intelligence activities or terrorist offence has entered into force with regard to him or her.
Under the Bill on Amendments to the Organic Farming Act and the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act (260 SE), initiated by the Government, in the future, the holdings of the persons who sell unpacked organic products to the final consumer in small quantities, for example small organic shops, will no longer need to have the recognition currently required of them. In the future, it will be sufficient if they inform the Agricultural and Food Board, which will be established on the basis of the Agricultural Board and the Veterinary and Food Board, of their activities.
The exemption will be granted to operators that sell unpacked organic products to the final consumer, provided that they do not produce, prepare, store other than in connection with the point of sale, or import such products from a third country, or subcontract such activities to another operator. The sale of unpacked organic products must not exceed 5 000 kg per year; such sales must not represent an annual turnover in relation to unpacked organic products exceeding EUR 20 000; or the potential certification cost of the operator exceeds 2 % of the total turnover on unpacked organic products sold by that operator. In order to prevent fraudulent use of the indications referring to organic farming, the bases for the repeal of decisions on recognition will be changed and the fine for selling non-organic products as organic products will be increased.
The Bill will bring the Act into conformity with the European Union organic farming Regulation to be applied from 1 January 2022 which aims to eliminate the obstacles to the development of organic farming in the EU, to ensure fair competition to farmers and operators, to increase consumers’ trust in organic products and to bring legislation into conformity with the Lisbon Treaty. According to the explanatory memorandum, the result should be simpler provisions, more effective procedures and products that are reliable for the consumer.
The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Feed Act (225 SE), initiated by the Government, is to bring the Feed Act into conformity with the European Union Regulation establishing a list of intended uses of feed intended for particular nutritional purposes and the modes of use necessary to achieve them applicable as of 25 December. The provisions of the Bill and the provisions of the current Act do not differ in terms of content. The amendments are of a technical nature – references to the directly applicable Regulation will be included. The amendments will involve no new obligations for feed business operators or supervisory officials.
Two Bills passed the first reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Other Acts (257 SE), initiated by the Government, will define at the level of Act the aim of the working environment database, the data collected and the retention periods of data on the basis of the Personal Data Protection Act. The Bill provides for a new requirement for the employer to draw up a risk assessment of the working environment in the working environment database or to forward the risk analysis to the Labour Inspectorate in a format which can be reproduced in writing.
The Bill will also include into the scope of application of the Act service providers, such as persons working under an authorisation agreement or a contract for services to whom certain provisions of the Act are applied. In addition, the Bill sets out an obligation for the employer to investigate occupational accidents that occur with service providers. The Bill will increase the employer’s liability for violation of the requirements established for the parties of an employment relationship.
The purpose of the Bill is to facilitate the creation of a safe working environment and to reduce the administrative burden for employers in complying with occupational health and safety requirements. For this, the working environment database will be developed, facilitating the communication of agencies and businesses with the state and offering new services. The Bill will increase the extent of the liability of the employer and the employee in the working environment.
The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Financial Management Act (282 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee, is to enable local governments to increase their net debt burden, in order that, in the emergency situation due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and in the period following it, local governments could take larger loans as necessary to stimulate economy and make investments in the circumstances of a slowdown of revenue growth in 2020–2027, without breaching the upper limit for net debt burden provided for by law. In ordinary circumstances, the upper limit for net debt burden for each local government is a sixfold value of its operating result or 60 per cent of its operating revenue. At present, the upper limit for net debt burden has been set at the tenfold value of operating result or 80 per cent of operating revenue as an exceptional case for 2020 and 2021. The Bill will extend the exemption for the upper limit for net debt burden until the end of 2024. From then on, the upper limit will gradually decrease in 2025–2028.
Lauri Läänemets (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.
Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the Bill on Amendments to the Social Tax Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (244 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, will be deliberated at tomorrow’s plenary sitting.
The Bill provides that the employee will be paid sickness benefit to the extent of 80 per cent for the first eight days of his or her sick leave in the cooperation of the state and the employer, so that the Estonian Health Insurance Fund will compensate for 40 per cent of the average wages of the person who falls ill and the employer will compensate for the remaining 40 per cent. Starting from the ninth day, according to the Bill, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund will bear the costs as per current regulation. The explanatory memorandum justifies that the compensation of the days of sick leave on the first eight days will help ensure that persons who fall ill or come into contact with an infection do not go to work but stay home.
The sitting ended at 1.53 p.m.
Members of the press,
In view of the COVID-19 virus disease outbreak, the Chancellery of the Riigikogu is taking the necessary precautionary measures. Members of the press are asked to wear face masks and maintain social distance from interviewees where possible when visiting Toompea Castle.
NordenBladet — On 20 November 2020, Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä will participate in an informal video conference of EU competitiveness ministers, which will address the space policy. The ministers will discuss Europe’s role in the international space economy, market developments and common principles in the sector.
The topic of the EU ministers’ meeting will be the growing space market, which has attracted both private and public operators in recent years. The meeting will address, among other things, Europe’s position in the international space market. It will be followed by a joint Space Council meeting of the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Finland’s space strategy targets international markets
The objective of Finland’s current space strategy is to make Finland the world’s most attractive and agile space business environment by 2025. The development would benefit both companies sending their own satellites and operators using satellite data in their business activities.
NordenBladet — Based on a recent evaluation, the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE is a progressive research institute that is widely appreciated in society. It produces research and expertise of a high standard and its societal impact is significant. What SYKE could do, however, is show even stronger leadership as a promoter of sustainable development, both internationally and nationally.
The Ministry of the Environment commissioned an international expert group to conduct the evaluation. The task of the group was to assess the quality and impact of the expert services of SYKE, societal impact and sustainability leadership, cooperation and role in networks, and foresight and innovation. The group was appointed in May 2020, and it was chaired by Hanne Bach, Director of the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy of the Aarhus University.
Based on its work, the group also gives a number of recommendations to further improve the impact of SYKE. This impact could be strengthened if SYKE would also serve the private sector more broadly, define its priorities more clearly, focus more strongly on network leadership, and communicate on the basis of this in a more targeted manner. To crystallise its role in society, SYKE should also tell more clearly about its services to relevant stakeholders. The ministries responsible for the guidance of SYKE should cooperate more closely, which would ensure a more strategic approach to the guidance.
“The evaluation confirmed my view that SYKE is highly capable of producing important information for the needs of society and policy-making. It also gives us useful proposals for developing SYKE into an even more influential player, as well as suggestions how we can improve our work as one of the ministries responsible for the guidance of SYKE,” says Juhani Damski, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment.
“The report gives us good ideas of how to develop our solution-driven and cooperation-based activities and aim for even more innovative and international sustainability leadership,” says Eeva Primmer, Acting Director General and Research Director at the Finnish Environment Institute.The evaluation was conducted in June-September 2020.
NordenBladet — Ellen Pautamo (Ergon Máreha Ánne Elle-Máret) from Tampere and Jonar Thomasson from Limingen have been awarded the 2020 Nordic Sámi language prize Gollegiella for their contributions to the promotion of the Sámi languages.Ellen Pautamo, Lecturer in the Sámi Language and Culture, received the Gollegiella prize for her merits as a teacher of the North Sámi language. Language expert Jonar Thomasson received the prize for the work he has done for the South Sámi language.
Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson announced the prize winners today in Helsinki in connection with a meeting of the ministers responsible for Sámi affairs in Norway, Sweden and Finland and the presidents of the Sámi Parliaments of the three countries.”I would like to extend my warmest thanks to both prize winners for the important work they have done to promote the Sámi languages. I hope that Pautamo’s and Thomasson’s work will increase our interest in and appreciation for the Sámi languages and culture,” Minister of Justice Henriksson says.
Ellen Pautamo is one of the most important developers of distance teaching of the Sámi language. She works at the virtual school of the Sámi Education Centre as a Lecturer in the Sámi Language and Culture. Poutamo is a skilled, inventive and inspiring teacher who also serves as a teacher trainer.Jonar Thomasson is a language expert and popular language consultant who has been instrumental in transmitting the Sámi language and culture and in preserving historical knowledge. Thomasson has contributed to the preservation and development of the Sámi language by documenting the South Sámi language. He has compiled stories, words and phrases in South Sámi in his book ‘Mojhtsijstie’.
The prize is EUR 15,000. As there are two winners this year, the prize money was divided between Pautamo and Thomasson.
