Saga - 1969, Blaðsíða 130

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ÓLAFUR EINARSSOM
this union was Ottó N. Þorláksson, who later became the first presi-
dent of the Labour movement in Iceland. The Fishermen’s Unions
in the neighbouring villages were named „Bára“ no. 2—7 and were
modelled on the already more experienced organization of the
I. O. G. T. These unions succeeded in protecting the rights of deck-
hands.
The first union of unskilled labourers was founded at Seyðisfjörður,
a fishing village on the east coast of Iceland, in April 1897, but this
union had been operating, unofficially, since at the beginning of
1896. Among those who helped to form it was an Icelander, who had
lived in Canada and experienced the Canadian workers’ struggle for
improved conditions and Þorsteinn Erlingsson, one of the greatest
writers of our „Age of Reason" and one of the first advocates of
socialism in this country. About the same time a Workers’ Union was
established in Akureyri, the biggest village in the north of Iceland.
Both these unions of manual labourers were small and little is
known about their achievements, for both were shortlived.
Skilled labourers formed their unions a little later, which was prob-
ably due to the fact that their number was greatly reduced by emig-
ration to North America. On the 4th of April 1897 the printers formed
a union again — The Icelandic Printers’ Union — which has been
active ever since. The printers based their organization on that of
their colleagues in Denmark. During the following years shoemakers,
blacksmiths, carpenters and masons founded their unions, and among
t.he members of these were also the masters of the trade.
The lot of the workers was discussed in Parliament during the
1890s, and one of the leaders in the struggle for independence, Skúli
Thoroddsen, presented a Bill making it obligatory for employers to
pay their employees in cash, instead of a payment in kind, which had
been the practice. This new law came into effect at the beginning
of 1902.
In the 4th chapter the author shows that the first trade unions seem
to grow in step with changes in the pattern of employment by Faxa-
flói and in the bigger villages. He considers the period from 1887 to
1901 to be the first stage in the history of the Ieelandic Labour Move-
ment and divides this into 2 phases:
1. 1887—1890, the formative years.
2. 1894—1901, the period of organizing the three main trade unions
within the Labour movement.
Then he traces the characteristics common to the organizers of the
most important unions, points out their knowledge of Labour move-
ments both in Europe and North America, and refers to the work of
many of these men done in the I. O. G. T. Furthermore does he give
a general description of the organizing and working methods of the
trade unions, and towards the end of the chapter it becomes evident
that the trade unions and their leaders did not participate in the
political disputes of the time, nor did they associate themselves with
any particular political party, which is not surprising, for division into