According to Peep Peterson, President of the Confederation of Trade Unions, the headline and message of today's Maalehe article "The Estonian unemployed are in debt up to their necks and demand envelope wages to escape the bailiffs" is wrong and stigmatises the unemployed. "The personal experience of one farmer is being expanded into an arbitrary falsehood that undermines the prospects of the majority of the unemployed to return to the labour market," the union leader said. "The majority of the unemployed have been able to keep their debts in order despite the difficulties and are willing to take up permanent employment in a properly formalised job," Peterson added.

According to Peterson, the biggest victims of the "peanut war" of recent months have been the unemployed, whose skills, learning ability and work ethic have never before been given so much media space. "Sadly, these are our own people, who only a month or two ago were working alongside us in highly respected jobs without any of the shortcomings they are accused of today," said the union leader.

"Stereotyping and stereotyping disrupts the labour market, puts the unemployed in an even more vulnerable position, demotivates employers to hire local labour. Trade unions cannot accept this. We call on the media and the public to recognise and avoid stigmatisation to ensure dignity for people who are already in a difficult situation," said Peterson.

"Peterson acknowledged that debt problems are still a growing problem, especially in the current crisis, and need to be addressed by the government, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and local authorities: "It is possible that the banks' payment holidays do not reach all those in need and some new type of assistance is needed so that working in the black is not the only way to get on with life."