Airport Strike Imminent

Employees of ISAVIA, who run Iceland’s airports, have voted in favour of holding four half-day strikes if a collective bargaining agreement is not met by April 8th, reports RÚV.

Roughly 400 employees will go on strike next Tuesday and three additional half-day strikes are planned throughout

April unless an agreement is made. If there is still no collective bargaining agreement at the end of the month then a general strike will begin.

Mornings are peak hours for Keflavík airport with 20 departures and arrivals with Icelandair and WOW Air scheduled next Tuesday morning, the day of the first strike.

The majority of those going on strike work in airport security such as rescue workers, firemen and women, flight analysts and security officers.

Félag Flugmálastarfsmanna Ríkisins (FFR) Union Head Kristján Jóhannsson expects the strike will paralyse Iceland’s airports.

“[The strike] will, if it comes to pass, we still have time to negotiate, but if it comes to pass it will have the consequence that flights will come to a halt,” said Kristján. “They will not land and they will not take off, both in Keflavík and elsewhere in the country. So all operations will be paralysed and everything will stop.”