Almost 20 individuals employed by contractor company Jardvélar have sought assistance from the labor union Efling after having received no salaries for November. According to Ágúst Thorkálsson at Efling, Jardvélar owes them millions of ISK (ISK 1 million = USD 16,000, EUR 11,000).
“I have to admit this is a terrible situation,” Sigurjón Ingi Gíslason, shop steward for the employees of Jardvélar told Fréttabladid. Salaries for October were paid one week late, he said, and although the company promised it wouldn’t happen again, 50 out of 100 employees suspected it would and resigned.
“No one will go hungry at Christmas,” said project manager at Jardvélar Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson. He stated employees would receive their pay checks in the next few days and explained the delay was caused by changes in the company.
Thorláksson cast doubts on Vilhjálmsson statement. “In this case, where it doesn’t seem that the company has any money, collecting unpaid salaries could take some time. The situation at Jardvélar doesn’t look good.”
Jardvélar is working on doubling Reykjanesbraut highway, connecting Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport.
Jónas Snaebjörnsson, district manager for the Public Road Administration said the project has made slow progress for the past two months and that the administration will pay close attention to proceedings from now on.
