Strike Ends As Doctors And State Sign Agreement - Includes drastic changes to conditions and higher wages, says doctor's representative

Includes drastic changes to conditions and higher wages, says doctor's representative

“An agreement has been reached in the labour dispute between the Icelandic Medical Assocation and the State. The strike is thereby called off and work goes back to normal on the morning of Wednesday January 7, 2015” —says a statement released by the Medical Association in the early hours this Wednesday.

Wednesday morning, shortly before 3 AM local time, mbl.is reported that the negotiation committees of The Icelandic Medical Association and State representatives have reached an agreement, and were expected to sign the agreement within hours. Around 4 AM, RÚV reported that the agreement had been signed.

Interviewed by Vísir, Sigurveig Pétursdóttir, member of the Medical Association’s negotiation committee, says that the agreement marks a drastic change to doctors’ work conditions, as well as wage raises. Above and beyond that, nothing has been revealed about its content.

This conclusion marks the end of a strike which started on October 27 and has thus lasted for eleven weeks. The strike is called off until a vote among members of the Icelandic Medical Association validates —or, possibly, refutes— the agreement.

The parties reached the conclusion at the end of a negotiation session which had endured for twelve hours straight, or since 1 PM on Tuesday. The negotiations took place at the premises of the State mediator. Upon reaching an agreement, RÚV reported that the negotiators have baked waffles together. —RÚV, Vísir and mbl.is have all since verified this with photographs, which leave no doubt: there are waffles.

Surgeons have their own association, which will continue negotiations with the State’s representatives on Wednesday.