Sólveig Anna challenges Halla over wage talks at prime minister’s residence

Efling chair Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir sharply criticised VR chair Halla Gunnarsdóttir after a press conference at the prime minister’s residence on Thursday, according to mbl.is.

The press conference was attended by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, the president of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour, the director of the Association of Business, and the chair of the Association of Local Authorities. Sólveig said Halla had shaped the events and persuaded the government and business representatives to credit her with helping resolve the recent collective bargaining talks.

In an interview with mbl.is, Sólveig said Efling had serious questions about its purpose within the labour confederation, where she said the interests of lower-paid workers repeatedly failed to take priority. She said that even when the confederation’s president had acted effectively and achieved results, influential groups were still able to take control of events and present themselves as receiving special offers.

Sólveig also said the confederation had rarely entered its congress so divided. Its 47th congress is due to take place next week.

She said she was unhappy with several aspects of the negotiations. Workers on low wages had led the way in reaching the 2024 stability agreements, she said, and she, Starfsgreinasambandið chair Vilhjálmur Birgisson, Samiðn chair Hilmar Harðarson, and members of their broad coalition had worked hard to maintain labour peace.

Sólveig said the government’s package had been available on Tuesday evening and that Halla had seen it. She also said a proposal that Halla had presented as specially designed for her by the Association of Business had already been rejected by the broad coalition.

She referred in particular to an additional interest allowance for indebted households, which is to be paid if annual inflation exceeds 3.8 per cent at the end of October. Sólveig said Halla had portrayed the allowance as a measure introduced that day in response to her demands. Sólveig said correspondence and emails showed that was not the case.

Sólveig said it was regrettable that the conduct of Halla and her allies had cast a shadow over what she described as a day of progress.