What happened
Sander Vaikma, head of the Estonian Energy Workers' Trade Union, warned that planned staff reductions at state-owned energy company Eesti Energia could affect power plant maintenance and repair work, potentially creating safety risks. Vaikma said the reported figure of 390 job cuts is only a preliminary estimate and that final lists of affected positions and departments have not yet been provided to the unions.
Earlier media reports suggested around 330 jobs could be cut in Ida-Viru County and about 60 in Tallinn, but Vaikma stressed those numbers are not final. Management says the layoffs are intended to improve efficiency and strengthen the company's position in the energy market. The company's previous major round of cuts took place in 2019, while Eesti Energia hired about 800 people in 2023.
The union is also concerned about plans to outsource some support-unit functions to third-party companies. Vaikma questioned whether the quality of maintenance and repair work at power plants could suffer and whether additional risks could emerge. He noted that the energy sector traditionally emphasizes safety and that Eesti Energia has strict safety rules applying to contractors, but the unions intend to separately evaluate any proposals where workforce reductions could affect production safety.
Vaikma said relations with the employer are constructive, though management and labor representatives have different interests. If consultations fail, workers' representatives are not ruling out further collective action, though there are currently no concrete plans for protests or a strike. Vaikma added that a strike during the planned layoffs could prove ineffective because the employer could postpone dismissals.
