Stormy sea conditions were matched by a crew strike on board a Tallink cruise ship, the MS Baltic Queen, calling for a 20 percent payrise and rejecting a repeat of the 7-10 percent granted two years ago, daily Postimees reports.

The demonstration took place at Tallinn's Old City Harbor, Terminal D, Postimees reports (link in Estonian) and attracted around 50 participants - double the number of passengers on the now-delayed cruise ship, while similar actions took place aboard two other Tallink vessels, the MS Star and the new MS MyStar shuttle vessels.

Jüri Lember, head of the Estonian Seamen's Independent Union (EMSA) said, "Every six or eight years, you have to be reminded via a warning strike," adding that, "We're not going to settle for some 7-10 percent pay raise as happened two years ago.""

Lember said that collective action was the only way to reach such goals, and compared his organization's calls for 20-22 percent pay rise, costing €2 million to €2.25 million, with the total 2021 salary of €2.25 million paid to the five Tallink management board members.

Lember also said that Tallink repaid around €50.8 million in loans, which, he said, would have led to increased enrichment for the company's owners, adding that unlike the crisis of 2008 onwards, the current economic situation is just a recession.

Tallink was severely hit by the effects of the Covid pandemic from early 2020.