Bjarni calls alleged labour deal a complete fabrication

Bjarni Benediktsson, managing director of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise, an employers’ association, called an alleged “drawer agreement” with union representatives “complete fabrication” when asked about it by mbl.is.

The question followed a Facebook post by Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, chair of the Efling union, suggesting that a confidential agreement had been made between the chair of the VR union, the chairs of professional associations and the employers’ association.

“I don’t know what to say. It just seems to me to be complete fabrication,” Bjarni told mbl.is.

Sólveig Anna did not specify what such an agreement might involve and declined to comment when contacted by mbl.is. In her post, she said agreements of this kind are sometimes offered to representatives of unions for middle- and upper-middle-class workers to persuade them to stop causing trouble. She added that representatives of workers and low-paid employees are never offered such agreements.

She said those representatives must make their own decisions about whether an offer is good enough or whether to continue their fight.