Efling collected almost 35 million kronas on behalf of 103 of its members in unpaid wages in the first three months of the year, according to the first quarterly report of the Department of contract compliance for the current year. The amount demonstrates the importance of the service provided by the wage affairs division and the lawyers of Efling to those of the union’s membership who have been subjected to wage theft.The number of newly registered wage claims has decreased when compared with previous quarters, which is caused by the collapse of the travel industry because of the corona virus pandemic. Therefore, it’s clear that the decrease of the number of claims is not caused by positive developments and thus, the complicity of the travel industry in violations in the labor market is confirmed. The average sum of each wage claim is increasing and now amounts to twice the average monthly wages of Efling members.As before, the quarterly figures demonstrate that foreign members are statistically more likely than other members of Efling to seek the assistance of Efling for unpaid wages. Union members of Icelandic origin are around half of the union’s membership but represent just under a quarter of those who have had to seek assistance.Three companies which have more than five ongoing wage claims cases are named.
