The planned lockout by the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) against Efling trade union has been postponed for at least four days. Originally scheduled to begin this Thursday, March 2, the potential lockout that would affect some 20,000 workers has been pushed back for at least four days, if no agreement with Efling is reached.
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Following temporary state mediator Ástráður Haraldsson’s call for a “ceasefire” prior to a meeting between SA and Efling this evening, SA has followed Ástráður’s suggestion and postponed the planned lockout. Efling has likewise signalled their willingness to cooperate, postponing all further planned actions.
At the same time, some within the labour movement have questioned the legality of SA’s planned lockout. The Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) has filed a case with the Labour Court on behalf of Efling, with the hope of proving the planned lockout illegal.
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The case was submitted over the weekend and a ruling on the matter is expected by the end of the day.
Kristján Þórður Snæbjarnarson, chairperson of ASÍ, has stated that the planned lockout is potentially illegal on grounds of formal defects in the original notice, in addition to the problem of jurisdiction. According to statements from Kristján Þórður, SA members from outside the capital voted on the proposed measure, rendering it illegitimate. Because Efling trade union exclusively represents workers in the capital region, only capital area members of SA should have been allowed to vote on the matter.
This is the fourth legal case filed so far in the protracted dispute between SA and Efling.
