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VIDEO: Striking Icelandic Union Gets Solidarity Statements From Unions Around The World
Efling, the labour union leading a one-day work stoppage today of hotel and guesthouse housekeeping staff, has received solidarity statements from unions in Europe and North America. Copies of these solidarity statements were released to the media from Efling this morning. Amongst…
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Strike Deemed Legal By Courts, Will Begin As Scheduled
A one-day work stoppage of hotel and guesthouse cleaning, housekeeping and laundry services will move forward as planned, as the courts have rejected management’s contentions that the action is illegal. As reported, Efling plans on holding a one-day work stoppage on March…
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Bread And Roses: Iceland’s Labour Struggle In High Gear
Last February, four labour unions— Iceland’s general labourers union Efling, the Store and Office Workers’ Union (VR), the Grindavík Labour Union, and the Akranes Labour Union—announced that collective bargaining talks with management’s Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) had broken down, and the…
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Icelandic Union Members Vote In Favour Of Work Stoppage, Strikes Pending
Participating members of the labour union Efling voted overwhelmingly in favour of a one-day work stoppage, and more strikes are in the works. As announced on Facebook, out of 862 votes cast, 769 voted in favour of a one-day work stoppage on…
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Icelandic Hotel Says “Little Room” For Pay Rises, Has Profits In The Millions
The managing director of Íslandshótel says there is little room for wage rises, but the company’s profits are reportedly in the hundreds of millions. Davíð Torfi Ólafsson, the managing director of Íslandshótel, expressed with RÚV his frustrations with the current labour movement…
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VIDEO: Iceland’s First “Hunger Walk” Highlights Workers’ Rights
(Video: Art Bicnick) Between 300 and 400 people attended a protest demonstration in front of Parliament last Saturday, in defense of Iceland’s lowest paid workers. The demonstration, called “The Hunger Walk” (“Hungurgangan”), was a confluence of many different groups, including the Socialist…
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Voting Begins On Work Stoppage In Iceland
Voting began today on a one-day work stoppage for workers in the Efling labour union, with votes cast both online and by a vehicle visiting workplaces. As reported, Efling plans on holding a one-day work stoppage on March 8, which will “apply…
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One-Day, Widespread Work Stoppage In Iceland Could Be Two Weeks Away
The Efling labour union will soon vote on a widespread one-day work stoppage that would affect housekeeping at hotels and guesthouses around the capital area, the union has announced. The announcement comes on the heels of an impending massive strike that, while…
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Massive Strike In The Works In Iceland
Collective bargainging negotiations between unions and management have broken down, and preparations are now underway to strike. The vast majority of workers in one of these unions have already indicated that they view going on strike favourably. According to an announcement from…
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Directorate Of Labour: Labour Rental Company “A Criminal Practice”
The director of Iceland’s Directorate of Labour pulled no punches when talking about Menn í vinnu, a labour rental company that was one of the subjects of a recent investigative news piece about the exploitation of foreign workers in Iceland. The president…
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Icelandic Labour Union Draws From Experience In New York To Help Restaurant Workers
Tomorrow, the Efling labour union will be hosting a free talk, where organisers from the US will recount their experiences with restaurant workers in New York, in the hopes that workers and organisers alike in Iceland can draw from their lessons. The…
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Foreign Workers Subjected To Exploitation, Unions And Police Now Involved
Representatives for the Icelandic Confederation of Labour Unions (ASÍ) and the police visited the living conditions of foreign workers, most of them from Romania, where it has come to light that they have been subjected to multiple instances of worker exploitation. The…
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Union Says Management Counteroffer “Cuts To Our Wages And Conditions”
Efling, one of Iceland’s largest labour unions, has sharply criticised management’s proposed counteroffers, saying they actually undermine worker’s rights. Union representatives from Efling, VR, The Akranes Labour Union and the Grindavík Labour Union are currently in arbitration with the Confederation of Icelandic…
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VIDEO: Iceland Has Never Been A Classless Society, Union Heads Remind Public
A common myth, sometimes even repeated by Icelanders, is that Iceland is a classless society. In a new video, Iceland’s union leaders point out this has never been true. In the video, released by the Confederation of Icelandic Labour Unions (ASÍ), we…
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Two Enter, One Leaves: Iceland’s Labour Struggle
Iceland’s largest labour unions have been gearing up for an intense struggle for workers’ rights when collective bargaining negotiations begin in early 2019, with labour leaders working to reach a consensus on their demands. At the same time, Minister of Finance Bjarni…
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Unemployment In Iceland At 2.9%, Indicating Strong Labour Market
Unemployment has settled into a low groove, indicating a labour shortage and a more powerful bargaining position for workers. Newly released data from Statistics Iceland puts unemployment in Iceland at 2.9% for November 2018. In a cross-section of residents in Iceland aged…
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Not Enough Done To Help Refugee Women In Icelandic Labour Market, Study Finds
Refugee women are the most marginalised group in the Icelandic labour market, according to a new study from the Federation of General and Special Workers in Iceland (SGS), Kjarninn reports. SGS conducted its research in the wake of the #MeToo testimonies of…
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Vast Majority Of Icelanders Ready To Go On Strike
74% of Icelanders say that the conditions in the labour market justify the use of the strike in order to improve the quality of life for all workers, a new poll from Market and Media Research (MMR) shows. In a recent interview,…
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Iceland’s Labour Leaders Gearing Up For Class War
Three labour leaders sat down with Icelandic public broadcasting to discuss their aims, and what step they are willing to take to achieve them. While they would like to raise the minimum wage, Icelandic employers have pushed back against the idea, prompting…
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Confederation Of Icelandic Labour Unions Elects First Woman President
Drífa Snædal has just become to first woman to be elected to the presidency of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour Unions (ASÍ) in the entire 102-year history of the organisation, according to an announcement from ASÍ. Drífa’s victory was a decisive one,…
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Management Reluctantly Warming Up To Raising Minimum Wage In Iceland
With what looks to be shaping up to be a hard collective bargaining fight ahead, the managing director of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) appears ready to make some concessions, albeit conditionally. The current minimum wage in Iceland is 300,000 ISK,…
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Icelandic Prisoners Paid Below Minimum Wage For Contracted Work
The Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ) believes the Icelandic Prison Service (FMS) is breaking labour laws by contracting out prisoners to do work for less than minimum wage, RÚV reports. The project manager of the prisoner’s department at ASÍ recently sent a…
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We Can Do Better: Anna Marjankowska Wants To Fight For Your Rights
Anna Marjankowska has a lot of irons in the fire. She’s doing extensive work at Andrými, a volunteer-run community activist centre, applying for her PhD, and working part time. But she also happens to be one of the board members of Efling,…