Air Traffic Controllers May Go On Strike, Negotiations Continue

The Icelandic Air Traffic Controllers Association (FÍF) and management at Ísavia, the company which operates Keflavík International Airport, are still in the midst of labour negotiations and it is possible that the union may decide to initiate a work stoppage on Tuesday, August 31st, RÚV reports.

Negotiations ran late yesterday, and while the union could have voted on a strike to begin today, they postponed this idea as some advances were made in their talks with management. The main area of contention right now concerns working hours.

That being said, there is still the possibility for temporary work stoppages, which could begin as soon as next week. For this reason, the state arbiter has stepped in to negotiations in the hopes of bridging the cap between labour and management.

The matter is especially pressing as Iceland’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and Play Air Birgir Jónsson told Vísir that “a strike is the last thing the tourism industry needs right now”, expressing hopes that an agreement can soon be reached.

If a work stoppage is voted and agreed upon by the union, it would start at 5:00 on the morning of Tuesday, August 31st, and last until 10:00. Whether that will come to pass will be determined later today at the earliest.

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