At long last, the labour dispute between Iceland’s flight attendants union (FFÍ) and Icelandair has likely come to a close, Vísir reports, as the two parties signed a collective bargaining agreement after a grueling 16-hour-long meeting at the state arbiter’s office.
This agreement must still be approved by the flight attendants themselves, and will be submitted to them on Friday, at which time electronic voting will commence. If approved, the agreement will last until September 30th, 2025.
Statements from both FFÍ and Icelandair state that the agreement secures both the airline’s flexibility and aim to increase its workload, while at the same time ensuring both the safety and the incomes of its flight attendants.
These negotiations have long been fraught. Last month, Icelandair delivered what they said was their “final offer” to its flight attendants, who consequently rejected it. However, as Iceland’s borders opened further on June 15th, and will open even more on July 1st, the intervention of the state arbiter has been a crucial part of shoring up an agreement between them.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also support us by checking out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
