Teachers demand government response on education investments in Iceland

Teachers in Iceland are demanding clear responses from the government regarding investments in education. The President of the Icelandic Teachers’ Union, Magnús Þór Jónsson, noted that the teachers’ wage negotiations have been ongoing for several years without success, with current discussions moving slowly.

Jónsson commented on the strike actions taken by teachers, explaining that these efforts represent a plea for change in the current situation. He emphasized that teacher contracts expired in the spring, and the summer passed without any response or resolution for teachers. He believes the negotiation mandate from the state and municipalities is still insufficiently strong, hindering progress.

When confronted with accusations of inequity among students based on school closures due to the strikes, Jónsson acknowledged that ideally, such drastic measures would not be necessary. However, he positioned these actions as necessary responses to unprecedented circumstances in the union’s history.

He added that all types of schools are currently operating under expired contracts, united in the goal of aligning teachers’ salaries with those of professionals in the general labor market. Jónsson clarified that if all schools had closed, around 80,000 students would have missed out on education, making it essential to mitigate damages through targeted strike actions rather than a full shutdown.

Jónsson reiterated the teachers’ call for definitive answers from politicians regarding educational investment, expressing disappointment with the need for such drastic measures, but insisting that they are necessary to ensure a better future for the educational system. As of now, no upcoming negotiations have been scheduled, with the last meeting showing significant gaps between the parties involved.