Employees having to work in shops in Kringlan and Smáralind on May 1 has sparked objections from the Icelandic Confederation of Labour Unions (ASÍ), with a call for a boycott on stores that remain open on this day.
May 1 in Iceland is an important holiday. Shops close, and a parade is usually held in downtown Reykjavík. This year, though, not everyone will be shuttering their doors, as RÚV reports that employees of the malls Kringlan and Smáralind will be compelled to work on this day – something practically unheard of in Iceland.
ASÍ is not taking the matter lightly, Morgunblaðið reports, issuing a statement reading, “This day is a holiday for shop employees, just like any other workers in this country, and has been so for decades. The directorship is disappointed by any attempts to change this, and encourages consumers to boycott any stores that remain open on this day.”
The idea to boycott stores open on May 1 has spread beyond the capital area as well – store owners in south Iceland have encouraged each other to shutter their doors on this day, and ask that consumers boycott any shops that remain open on May 1.
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