Collective Bargaining Negotiations Moving In Right Direction

Collective bargaining negotiations for the Union of Public Servants (SFR) and the Paramedics Society of Iceland (SLFÍ) is moving slowly though in the right direction, reports Vísir.

“It went the way it usually does, slowly but in the right direction,” said SFR Chairman, Árni Stefán Jónsson. “Nothing serious came up and things are coming along the way they usually do.”

The meeting, which ended a few hours ago, had been going on since 10 am yesterday morning and a new meeting has been scheduled for 10 am today.

The first round of strikes ended yesterday though some union members at the Directorate of Internal Revenue, the Directorate of Customs as well as the National University Hospital of Iceland will continue striking until the end of the week unless a deal is struck.

Police, who have lacked the right to strike since 1986 have reported instead that a large number of police officers have been “sick”, slowing down their ability to perform police work.

Should a deal not be met by October 29, further work stoppages will commence.

“It’s difficult to say whether we’ll reach an agreement in time,” said Árni Stefán. “You never know if things will grind to a halt or how long it will be. In the past people have thought that [collective bargaining negotiations] would be quickly resolved but it can often take much longer than predicted.”