Icelandair union leader suspects government intervention before strike

Óskar Einarsson, chairman of the Icelandic Aircraft Engineers Association, believes the authorities will intervene in the wage dispute between aircraft engineers and Icelandair before a planned strike on 23 September, mbl.is reported.

“It seems to me that everything is pointing in that direction,” Óskar said on the radio programme Vikulokin on Rás 1 and Rás 2. He was referring to Icelandair’s announcement that all flights would be cancelled on 23 and 24 September if the strike could not be averted.

Óskar said the company appeared to be suggesting that the strike would begin fully on 25 September. “That tells me they have some kind of promise up their sleeve and that this will be resolved for them,” he said, referring to Icelandair.

Government officials have not indicated that they are considering intervening in the wage dispute or commented specifically on the matter.

Óskar repeated the aircraft engineers’ claim that there is a 23 per cent difference between their basic wages and those of the comparison groups they use as a reference.

He said Icelandair had brought nothing new to a meeting at the state mediator’s office the previous day. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. The mediator had suggested possible ways of bringing the parties together, Óskar said, but the engineers did not consider those proposals acceptable.

Asked about reports that aircraft engineers earn an average of 1.4 million Icelandic krónur a month, Óskar said such figures could be produced in any profession by combining basic pay with shift premiums, night work and other additions.

He said the basic wage for a skilled aircraft engineer was 601,000 krónur and that a considerable group earned that amount. Several groups in the profession earned around 700,000 krónur, he said, describing that as a very common level of pay. While some individuals earned 1.4 million krónur a month, he did not believe that figure represented the average.