Yet More Unions Join Strikes

Many more trade unions have made the decision to vote on whether they will join the strikes already in progress.

Kjarninn reports that the Electricians’ Union, the Icelandic Union of Professional Food and Restaurant Workers, Samiðn (a federation of a dozen industry trade unions), the Union of Hairdressing Professionals, the Print and Visual Media Workers Union and The Icelandic Union of Marine Engineers and Metal Technicians have all decided to hold elections amongst their workers on whether or not they will join the work stoppages and strikes already in progress.

The decision was made at the conclusion of a bargaining meeting with Business Iceland. A group statement sent by the unions after the meeting said that negotiations “would have no purpose to continue because of a lack of performance and a great dispute about wage agreements”.

As reported, negotiations have been slow going, with management unwavering in their contention that raising wages would lead to inflation. However, union demands not only have the overwhelming support of union workers, but of the general public as well.

In all, up to 70,000 workers could be participating in work stoppages and strikes through May and June, comprising over a third of the country’s workforce.