Collective bargaining 2019-20

Union reps out of chains: From the new agreements

In Iceland, many hotels and restaurants are run by conglomerates and chains. These companies keep the tourist economy going, but they themselves are kept going by mostly foreign labour. They also have rapid turnover of staff. In these conditions, having solid union representation is very important. However, these are also the places where it’s often proven the hardest to get union reps elected. Some of these businesses see the whole chain as a single “workplace”, Read more…

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Menn í vinnu: Wage claims, a fine and another mutation

Before Easter, the legal office Réttur sent letters to companies which rented workers from the temp agency Menn í vinnu this winter. In the letter, it is made clear that, due to laws on chain responsibility, they are liable for their workers’ unpaid wages, even if their work is bought through a temp agency. “What we’re hoping is that these companies take care, in future, that their employees from temp agencies get correct pay and Read more…

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SGS-SA collective agreement accepted

All member unions of SGS accepted the new collective agreement with the business cartel, SA, in a vote that concluded yesterday. Most did so with a sizable majority. Amongst Efling members, 77% voted yes and 2.3% abstained. In total, 19 thousand people were on the Efling voting registry. The agreement applies to general workers in sectors such as construction, transportation, road construction, dock work, agriculture, mechanical work and in hotels and restaurants. You can read Read more…

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Summary of the new agreements

A new collective agreement for private market workers in Efling has been signed, lasting for 3 years and 8 months. It includes significant input from the government, and adds disposable income from several sources. It will be effective as of April 1, 2019. A vote on the agreement will take place very soon. Here’s an overview of the main items. Raises Wages will rise every year, from April 1, 2019 to the contract’s end in Read more…

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A message from Kynnisferðir strætó drivers

Dear passengers! We, the drivers at Almenningsvagnar Kynnisferða, gladly drive you to work, school, or wherever you want to take the bus. We are responsible for your safety, but we are only paid the minimum wage. To get a living wage, we have to work many overtime hours. This means we may be tired and unfocused at work. In our jobs, we‘re not just drivers. We are also clerks, janitors, info-centres, ticket controllers, security guards Read more…

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What’s going on with the strikes?

On Wednesday evening, strikes in hotels and bus companies were called off with just a few hours’ notice. They were scheduled to start at midnight and last through Thursday and Friday. The reason for the strikes being called off was that, after six months of negotiations and two single-day strike actions by Efling, the employers’ cartel has finally presented a serious basis for talks, which is now being discussed. Nothing has been signed yet, except Read more…

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On the mass layoffs of Kynnisferðir

Efling regrets the mass layoffs of 59 workers at Kynnisferðir. The bulk of them are bus drivers who work under the Efling collective agreement. The union has kept a close eye on how the case proceeds and taken care that the rights of the union’s members are upheld, such as their rights to union activism. Union members have precedence to the jobs, which means they can not be laid off before other staff in the Read more…

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Strike March 28-29 cancelled: Limited but significant progress

Efling – union has cancelled its call to strike on March 28 and 29, which were due to start in a few hours. Efling cancels the strikes in light of a new basis for talks, which has now been presented on behalf of the employers’ association, SA. This turn of events took place in the state mediator’s office in the late afternoon. Other parts of the planned strikes are still going ahead. The next set Read more…

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Bus strike on March 28-29: Information

Update: Strike March 28-29 cancelled There is a strike in bus companies in the capital area and its surroundings on Thursday and Friday, for 48 hours in total. Bus drivers who are members in Efling are called on to protect the strike. The strike will be protected in two shifts, one starting at 2am and the other at 7am on each day. To enlist for strike patrolling and to apply for strike pay, you come to the offices Read more…

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Strikes in hotels, March 28-29

Update: Strike March 28-29 cancelled There are strikes in hotels again on Thursday and Friday. The single-day strike on March 22 put pressure, but hasn’t resulted in a serious offer. Therefore, we are continuing with our strike plan in hotels and bus companies. If you are in Efling or VR, and you work in a hotel listed below, you go on strike. It does not matter whether you voted or which department you work in, or whether the hotel Read more…

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