Icelandic doctors threaten strike over salary negotiations with government

Nearly a thousand state-employed doctors in Iceland could go on strike on November 18 if ongoing salary negotiations with the government remain unresolved. A vote among the doctors is planned for this weekend.

The negotiations involve physicians working in hospitals and health care centers across the country. Talks are currently taking place with the state mediator.

Steinunn Þórðardóttir, the chair of the Icelandic Medical Association, noted that while discussions are still active, there is significant dissatisfaction among the medical community. “We have not received a reduction in working hours like other health professions have long acquired. Base salaries are considerably lower than those in other academic fields, just to name one issue,” she stated.

When asked about the likelihood of reaching an agreement soon, Steinunn indicated that developments in the coming days would dictate the potential for a resolution. “There is always hope that we can come to an agreement before any actions are taken, and that is what we obviously want,” she concluded.