The Delegate council of Efling, during its meeting on December 10th, covered the coronavirus recession and the effects of the ensuing public fiscal policy on the financial standing and health security of Icelanders. Guests from the ranks of unemployed Efling members were invited to attend the meeting, where a thorough talk was given and goup discussions took place. The Delegate council has passed a resolution based on the discussions among those who attended the meeting.
A gravy-train for the well-off, a curse on the underprivileged
- Resolution of the Delegate council of Efling on the effects of public measures in response to the coronavirus recession
Approved on December 17th of 2020The Delegate council of Efling – union, which is the principle organ of the union, has passed the following resolution:The response of the authorities to the coronavirus recession have failed to live up to the reasonable standard of guarding those most underprivileged in society. On the contrary, the response has worsened inequality and unequal division among the people of this country.An inordinate portion of the state’s expenses have been allocated to those who are well-off and have not been harmed at all by the recession. Those whose income is above average, whose job is secure and who hold real estate now hoard funds.At the same time, workers and low-wage earners are suffering from of a loss of employment, their livelihoods and stability in existence. The workers and low-wage earners who brought about the Icelandic tourism boom, now find themselves threatened by a vicious cycle of poverty and isolation, which will harm not only them but society at large. This group includes more than four thousand members of Efling.The Delegate council demands that a campaign be launched to protect the wages, health, human dignity and sense of security of the unemployed and that the funds currently allocated to the well-off be directed towards that effort.The Delegate council demands that public funds be generously directed towards creating secure and sustainable employment for workers.The Delegate council demands that basic unemployment benefits be increased, that the services of the directorate of labor be improved and that resources be developed which contribute to the societal participation and social bonds of the unemployed. That opportunities for education be made available.The Delegate council demands that mental health services be made more readily available for the unemployed and others who are in danger of being marginalized in the current situation.