The negotiations committee of Efling – union has made the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) an offer to solve the current collective bargaining dispute between the two parties. The offer was agreed upon unanimously in the meeting of the the Efling negotiations committee yesterday, January 8th, and sent to SA and the State Conciliation and Mediation Officer immediately after the meeting.
The offer accommodates considerably to the negotiating partner compared to the original demands, and the earlier offers from 21.12.2022 and 29.11.2022.
Wage Increases Within the Framework of What Previously has been Negotiated
With the offer comes an implementation of a new wage table. The wage increases in the table are between 40 to just over 59 thousand kr., which lies within the framework of what was negotiated with other unions in the beginning of December.
In addition would come the wage supplement of 15.000 kr. which is the same amount as the wage supplement demanded by Efling in the offer from 12 December, but now the offer states that the wage supplement would be counted outside the basic wage and would therefore not increase the shift and overtime bonuses.
The Wage Table Adjusted
Also the wage table is changed so that an employee needs to have worked 18 months in an occupation to get to the first length of service step, instead of 12 months as it was before.
The design of the wage table puts proportionally the most emphasis on the second and third length of service step, unlike the table of the SGS contract which puts by far the most emphasis on the highest step (5 years of service).
In addition a couple of occupations are rearranged in the table and a special entry made about the joint understanding of the right of union representatives to work in negotiation committees without loss of pay.
It is accepted that the GDP bonus will be removed and other increases of wages will take its place.
Reasonable Premises
The premises of the offer are that it adjusts the wage table of the contract between SA and SGS to the composition of Efling members and accommodates to the high cost of living of workers in the capital region, especially due to the out of control housing market.
Additionally, it seeks to protect the purchasing power of wages, secure the share of workers in the high economic growth and follow through on the ideology of the 2019 agreement about increasing the lowest wages more than others.
That the Legally Protected Right to Negotiate be Respected
The negotiations committee totally rejects that Efling members are bound by the collective agreements of other unions. The declarations of SA about that are in stark contrast with the laws of the Icelandic labour market.
The Efling negotiations committee assumes that the State Conciliation and Mediation Officer will do what is needed in the next couple of days to ensure that both parties respect each others independent and legally protected right to negotiate.
Should SA continue to reject taking into consideration the obvious facts about the conditions of workers in the capital region and disrespect their independent right to negotiate, the union will declare the negotiations unsuccessful and begin preparations for strike action. This is explained in the offer.
A Record Number of Efling Members Participate in the Negotiations
The Efling negotiations committee developed its original demands from the message from about 4500 Efling members who answered the survey on economic conditions last autumn, many times more than have previously participated in negotiations on behalf of Efling. The negotiations committee consists of dozens of Efling members from various sectors of the economy in the contract area of Efling.
The negotiations committee has without exception publicly announced its communications with the negotiating partner.
The negotiations committee has met with SA in six negotiation meetings since the contracts expired on 1 November, and has had 20 meetings of its own this winter.
The offer as it was handed in to SA.
The wage table that accompanies the offer.
