The Labour court has struck down a sympathy strike by Efling members in private schools. The strike was supposed to begin at noon on Monday, March 9. Efling accepts the ruling and will not proceed with the strike.The court’s argument was that, as the workers in the relevant schools follow the Reykjavík collective agreement, the strike must be seen as one pushing for improved conditions, rather than a sympathy strike for Reykjavík workers. The court was split in its ruling, as one judge wanted Efling to allow the strike on the basis of the union’s arguments. The employers’ cartel, SA, tried the case on behalf of the association of independent schools, and brought the aforementioned arguments.Efling objected to this point of view, arguing that while the private schools did pay according to the Reykjavík agreement, the aim and stated purpose of the strike was to show solidarity with Reykjavík city workers.”This ruling objectively narrows the right to solidarity strikes by putting conditions on the connection between agreements,” Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, Efling chairwoman, said. “But it is good to get clarity on this for further calls to strike.”
