Mediation between maritime unions and employer association ends without agreement

Mediation talks between the Faroese Shipowners’ Association and three maritime unions have collapsed without a resolution, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

Mediators Terje Sigurðsson and Fróði Sivertsen had been facilitating negotiations between the Shipowners’ Association and the Skippers’ and Navigators’ Union, the Engineers’ Union, and the Fishermen’s Union. However, the parties failed to reach an agreement after the latest round of discussions.

Mediator Terje Sigurðsson presented a final proposal for the Shipowners’ Association and the Fishermen’s Union, but both sides rejected it. “We did not submit any further proposals for the other parties because they were too far apart,” Sigurðsson stated.

The Skippers’ and Navigators’ Union and the Shipowners’ Association concluded talks without any resolution. Meanwhile, the Engineers’ Union and the Shipowners’ Association agreed to extend their current agreement by 14 days to explore further options.

Sigurðsson confirmed that the mediation board would take no further action unless contacted by the parties with new developments. “They can reach out to us again if they have something new to bring to the table. We won’t be initiating anything further,” he said.

Annfinnur Garðalíð, chair of the Skippers’ and Navigators’ Union, told KVF that the existing collective bargaining agreement would expire at midnight the following day, with no new agreement in place. “The parties have gone their separate ways, and we will now carefully consider our position before taking any further steps,” he said.