The director of the police officers’ union says there is a strong call within the force for the right to go on strike. A government work group has been founded to find a salary solution that all parties can be content with.
The police have been unhappy with their salaries for some time now, but Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir has said there isn’t enough money to give them the raises they want. As it is, officers make about 350,000 ISK per month, while the chief of police makes about 600,000 ISK.
Police Federation of Iceland (LL) director Steinar Adolfsson says there is a strong demand within the police force to have the right to go on strike again, in the realest sense of the term. Such a weapon is not as effective in the hands of the police as it might be in other unions, he said, as officers can always be ordered to go back on the job.
Police union officials met with Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, the directors of three different ministries, and the negotiations committee yesterday. The conclusion of the meeting was to form a workgroup that could come up with a satisfactory solution to the salary issue.
Steinar stressed that there was little time to lose, as the longer officers are made to wait, the more likely it is that they will find jobs elsewhere.
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