Collective Bargaining Agreement Between Efling And Municipalities Reached

The strike between workers within the labour union Efling and the municipalities of Seltjarnarnes, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær, Hveragerði and Ölfus came to an end yesterday, Efling announced, in the form of a collective bargaining agreement.

The workers, mostly women employed in a caregiver capacity, will according to the agreement receive wages on par with their colleagues who work for the City of Reykjavík. This entails a 90,000 ISK pay rise over the duration of the contract, shorter working hours, and more.

“Once again Efling members in the least valued jobs in our society have shown that the even the most brutal institutions of power do not stand a chance against them when they step up with fighting spirits and unity,” Efling chair Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir said at the signing. “Once again they have proven that just and determined struggle of low wage workers through their union is not only our right but also something that achieves results.”

The workers in question had been without a valid contract for a year, and many expressed dissatisfaction with their wages. The strike, which began on May 5th, was not without controversy—schools had returned to regular operating hours only the day before, after weeks of lockdown due to the coronavirus—making it all the more fortunate that an agreement was reached at last.