Bargaining for working conditions and social rights of migrant workers in Central East European countries (BARMIG), National report: Estonia

Since Estonia regained its independence in 1991, the regulation of international migration has been rather strict, with a relatively low annual migration quota for long-term employment. Nevertheless, the 2010s saw the increased migration of third-country nationals, primarily via temporary working schemes. Since 2015, Estonia has experienced positive net migration, even in 2020. However, the importance of migrant workers varies significantly across the analysed sectors. The transience of migration causes problems for both the working conditions and labour market integration of migrants. All signs indicate that social partners are often aware of these problems; however, though they lack the capacities to deal with these issues, they are interested in developing them. Despite some differences in how employers and unions perceive the need for a migrant workforce, even unions do not question the need for an additional migrant workforce. In order to tackle the challenges of the migrant workforce, alternatives to the current strict quota-based migration regulation system should be considered. Furthermore, the regulations should be adjusted by taking into account the specifics of the particular sectors in aspects such as the strength of the social partners, labour shortages and skills requirements, and the nature of the work and projects.