Teachers have until midnight to accept mediator’s proposal

Teachers have until midnight to accept a proposal aimed at keeping their collective agreements in force, mbl.is reports. Public employers accepted the proposal at a meeting with teachers’ representatives earlier on Saturday, while the teachers were given until the end of the day to respond.

The proposal would allow work to continue on an assessment of the value of teachers’ work, which has taken longer than initially expected, without activating a clause in the collective agreements. Inga Rún Ólafsdóttir, chair of the negotiating committee of the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, said she hoped teachers were close to completing their approval.

State Mediator Ástráður Haraldsson called the meeting after concerns arose about the agreements following statements by Magnús Þór Jónsson, head of the Icelandic Teachers’ Union, that the agreements could no longer be upheld.

Inga said the meeting focused solely on reaching agreement not to activate the clause while the assessment continues. No other disputes were discussed, she said, adding that the parties would continue working together. She also rejected reports that the government’s proposal fell outside the scope of the agreements.

The deadline to invoke the clause concerning the assessment of teachers’ work was due to expire on Saturday evening. Earlier in the week, Magnús Þór said teachers had been told the government would not honour agreements made the previous year and had received a draft of revised terms. Inga said those disputes had now been resolved.