As reported by RÚV, the Icelandic Association of Air Traffic Controllers (FÍF) and the board of Ísavia, the company that manages the international airport in Keflavík, are still in the process of labor negotiations and it is possible that the union decides to go on strike on Tuesday 31 August.
Negotiations continued until late yesterday, and although the union could vote to start a strike today, the idea was postponed as some progress had been made in talks with management. The main area of dispute concerns working hours.
However, there is still a possibility of temporary suspension of work, which may occur as early as next week. For this reason, a state negotiator joined the negotiations in the hope that it would be possible to reach an agreement between employees and management.
The matter is particularly urgent as Iceland’s economy is largely dependent on tourism. Play Air CEO Birgir Jónsson told Vísir that “the strike is the last thing the tourism industry needs right now.” He expressed the hope that an agreement could be reached soon.
If the strike is voted and approved by the trade union, it will start at 5:00 AM on Tuesday August 31 and will last until 10:00 AM.
Source: Yle