Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2023, Blaðsíða 4

Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2023, Blaðsíða 4
The Reykjavík Grapevine Published by Fröken ehf. Aðalstræti 2 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is grapevine@grapevine.is Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association www.saf.is Printed by Landsprent ehf. PUBLISHER Jón Trausti Sigurðarson jontrausti@grapevine.is +354 540 3601 publisher@grapevine.is EDITOR IN CHIEF Catharine Fulton editor@grapevine.is ART DIRECTOR Sveinbjörn Pálsson sveinbjorn@grapevine.is CULTURE EDITOR Josie Anne Gaitens josie@grapevine.is PHOTO & MEDIA EDITOR Art Bicnick art@grapevine.is CONTRIBUTORS Shruthi Basappa Rex Beckett Jóhannes Bjarki Bjarkason Lea Dörschel Aron Ingi Guðmundsson Cate Magnúsdóttir Iryna Zubenko PHOTOGRAPHERS Art Bicnick Joana Fontinha LISTINGS Rex Beckett SALES DIRECTORS Aðalsteinn Jörundsson adalsteinn@grapevine.is Helgi Þór Harðarson helgi@grapevine.is FOUNDERS Aldís Pálsdóttir Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson Hörður Kristbjörnsson Jón Trausti Sigurðarson Oddur Óskar Kjartansson Valur Gunnarsson CONTACT US: ⮕ Editorial +354 540 3600 editor@grapevine.is ⮕ Advertising 354 540 3605 ads@grapevine.is ⮕ Distribution & Subscriptions +354 540 3604 distribution@grapevine. is ⮕ Press releases events@grapevine.is ⮕ General Inquiries grapevine@grapevine.is The Reykjavík Grapevine is published every month by Fröken Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed in and around Reykjavík and at key locations along Iceland's route 1. It is also avaiable at all major tourist attractions and information centres around the country. The Grapevine is an independent publication. You may not agree with what we print, but at least our hot takes aren't paid for. None of our editorial is directed or influenced by sponsors or advertisers, and all opinions expressed are the writer's own. Negotiations are stalling Diving right in, ongoing wage negotiations between labour union Efling and the Confedera- tion of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) can best be characterised as feisty, with the former threatening at every twist and turn to have its members — which form the backbone of the nation’s tourism industry — go on strike. In fact, SA has called Efling’s demands “unworkable,” while state mediator Aðalsteinn Leifs- son said of the negotiations, “in this dispute I see no solution,” Heimildin reports. It would seem that Efling has been offered a contract on the same terms and conditions that a number of other unions negotiat- ing with SA agreed to in 2022, but Efling — led by media darling Solveig Anna Jónsdóttir — is asking for a slightly greater wage increase so her union’s members aren’t seeing the entire pay bump eaten up by Iceland’s astronomical inflation. Adding to the drama, Aðalste- inn technically has the authority to present the contract proposal directly to Efling members, even if the union’s negotiating committee isn’t on board with it. Not having any of that, Efling is refusing to hand over its member- ship list. So long as that member- ship list remains in Efling’s hands, members can’t be sent any proposal on which to vote. That move by the union appears to have the support of the the federation of public worker unions and the teachers union, who said in a joint statement: "Disarming a union of its strike weapon is a serious action and a major state intervention. When a mediation proposal is used, it affects not only the union in ques- tion, but all other unions in the country and can create a danger- ous precedent. Based on the circumstances and the informa- tion currently available, we make serious comments on the decision of the state mediator to submit a mediation proposal at this point." While all that bickering has been going on, the 300 Efling members of the Íslandshótel chain of hotels voted Jan. 30 to go on strike, and the union said more strike action is in the works. Íslandshótel employees will walk off the job Feb. 7 if a solution to the current stalemate isn’t found before then. Police are packing After so many attempts by right- leaning members of government to put weapons in the hands of Reykjavík police officer that we’ve lost count, it looks like it’s actually going to happen. Justice Minister Jón Gunnarsson announced in January that he is taking steps toward arming police officers with Tasers, saying cops in the capital could be armed in the next six months. Of his efforts to get police packing, Jón said in Jan. 2022, “Our police are people just like us and have families. It is natural that there might be some fear amongst police officers when they are dispatched to a difficult call. We are examining whether it would be natural to take a middle stance and take up tasers, which has a great deal of experience around the world, amongst other places in neighbouring countries.” He also pointed out that cops currently carry pepper spray and clubs, and clubs can cause serious physical injury, but tasers might help prevent that. We’re of the mind that it’s not the clubs caus- ing injury, but the people wielding them. So who’s going to be wield- ing the Tasers? Don’t Tase Me Bro, Let’s Negotiate The TL;DR of Icelandic News Words: Catharine Fulton Images: Various news outlets, Grapevine Graphics Dept. The top rep for the employer association, Halldór Benjamín, worked to destabilise the trade unions with ever wilder hair Efling, the blue-collar worker union, responded with a shocking show of force, presenting in uniform bomber jackets 4The Reykjavík Grapevine 2/23 Best before: March 2, 2023 FRONT The trade-union fashion wars of 2022-3 Hverfisgata 6 | Reykjavik | kastrup.is Dinner Lunch O pe n 11 :45 — 23:00 — Every D ay

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