Teachers Stand Firm On Wage Negotiations

Secondary school teachers have accused the Icelandic government of “apathy”, and demand a significant pay rise.

Vísir reports that representatives from every secondary school teacher’s union in the country gathered at Grand Hótel yesterday, drafting a resolution addressed to the Icelandic government:

“The apathy of the Icelandic government, over the course of the years, regarding the salaries in secondary schools has been repeated many times. Harsh cuts in the budgets of secondary schools is seriously damaging to society and not a private matter for the teaching class.

“Teachers and other members [of the union] in secondary schools care that students get the education they need, as we also care about our schools and education in this country. It is precisely because of this that we have had enough and say – here but no further.

“We demand that the government show the work of teachers respect, by making the salaries of union members comparable with other experts working in service of the state.

“We demand that the government revoke its [collective bargaining] representative at once, to present a realistic offer at the negotiations table to correct our salaries, and insure a natural salary development in the future. This, and only this, can create the foundation discussions about the future of secondary schools for the teaching class.”

If the government cannot or does not present a wage increase offer that satisfies the teachers, a strike could be in the making.