A legislation to force striking crew members on the ship Herjólfur, the main connection between the Westman Islands and mainland Iceland, to return to work was passed yesterday evening. This means the strike will be pushed back to September 15.
Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, Minister of the Interior, introduced the legislation in a bid to end the strike that has disrupted transportation between the island and the mainland for nearly four weeks.
These actions are considered by many to be necessary to keep services and goods moving between the Westman Islands and the mainland. Others suspect the legislation will only make matters worse in the long-running wage dispute between crew members and Eimskip shipping company.
The disputing parties had not been able to come to an agreement regarding the crew’s working hours, resulting in a prolonged overtime-ban. Up until now crew members have had to work nine hours before receiving overtime pay, as opposed to the conventional eight hours, this has been a major bone of contention between the two parties during negotiations
Twenty-nine MP‘s voted for the legislation yesterday, thirteen voted against it and five members abstained from voting.
News of the strike is available in English on Eimskip’s website.
Minister of the Interior introduced the legislation in a bid to end the strike that has disrupted transportation between the island and the mainland for nearly four weeks.
A legislation to force striking crew members on the ship Herjólfur, the main connection between the Westman Islands and mainland Iceland, to return to work was passed yesterday evening. This means the strike will be pushed back to September 15.
Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, Minister of the Interior, introduced the legislation in a bid to end the strike that has disrupted transportation between the island and the mainland for nearly four weeks.
These actions are considered by many to be necessary to keep services and goods moving between the Westman Islands and the mainland. Others suspect the legislation will only make matters worse in the long-running wage dispute between crew members and Eimskip shipping company.
The disputing parties had not been able to come to an agreement regarding the crew’s working hours, resulting in a prolonged overtime-ban. Up until now crew members have had to work nine hours before receiving overtime pay, as opposed to the conventional eight hours, this has been a major bone of contention between the two parties during negotiations
Twenty-nine MP‘s voted for the legislation yesterday, thirteen voted against it and five members abstained from voting.
News of the strike is available in English on Eimskip’s website.
