In recent years, Efling’s members have repeatedly experienced disrespect towards their contractual rights, interests and existence. That disrespect has been expressed both by Efling’s counterparts, as well as by the office of the state mediator. “The time of such disrespect towards working people and low-wage workers has passed. Members of Efling are ready and willing to take drastic measures to make sure they will be met with normal minimum respect.”
This is the content of a declaration that the negotiating committee and the confidant’s board of Efling jointly approved at a meeting last night, February 8. The declaration can be found here.
More than half a month has now passed since the Union Alliance, an alliance of the largest unions within ASÍ, referred its wage dispute with the Confederation of Employers (SA) to the state mediatior. Agreement has not yet been reached, but the current collective bargaining agreement expired at the end of last month.
In the statement of the negotiation committee and the confidant’s board express their full support for the continuation of collective agreement negotiations on the basis that the Union Alliance has proposed. “The negotiation committee and the confidant’s board strongly emphasize that a long-term collective agreement will be protected by strict prerequisite clauses, which are in accordance with the stated contract goals and do not leave the risk of failure of prerequisites resting only with the workers.”
No lesser emphasis is put on the government coming to the table and supporting the making of the collective agreements. The government needs to rebuild the public transfer systems, such a rebuild is long overdue. “This is the absolute basic condition for workers to be able to accept collective agreements with only moderate wage increases.”
In the declaration, Efling’s other demands in relation to the collective bargaining agreement are also emphasized. Especially the need to ensure the protection of workers in the general labor market against unreasonable dismissals and that the rights and status of confidants in workplaces will be guaranteed and increased.
Likewise, the declaration expresses full support for all the Union Alliance joint demands. In particular, it is specified that the impairment of workers’ acquired rights must be taken into account when they are re-employed by the same employer. It is also necessary to prevent claims for unpaid wages or rights violations from expiring faster than general statutes of limitations allow. “Efling highly values the solidarity of the Breidfylking,” says the in the declaration..
Nothing should stand in the way of concluding the negotiations in less than a week, according to the negotiation committee and the confidant’s board.
“Efling has significantly accommodated SA and demands that their willingness to negotiate be reciprocated. The negotiation committee and the confidant’s board also trust that the state mediator will do his part to facilitate negotiations.”