Efling rejects the legitimacy of mediation proposal and condemns the state mediator’s methods

Efling – union denies the legitimacy of the mediation proposal that the state conciliation and mediation officer presented this morning. The proposal was put forward with unusual haste and without any consultation with Efling. According to the assessment of Efling the state conciliation and mediation officer has broken certain clauses of the law on unions and labour market disputes about consultation with the disputing parties, which is to be had before a mediation proposal is put forward.

Furthermore, the mediation proposal of the state conciliation and mediation officer goes against all traditions of communication between opposing parties of the labour market, where it has been the custom that mediation proposals meet the parties halfway. The so-called mediation proposal forces the position of one party upon the other. The proposal is exactly identical to the last offer of SA (Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise). The point of view of Efling was not taken into consideration at all. Efling condemns this way of working.

In the press conference today the state conciliation and mediation officer did not mention that in order to reject a mediation proposal, according to the law on unions and labour market disputes, a majority of the votes is not enough. The votes against the proposal also need to be a quarter of the total number on the electoral register. This procedure of having a referendum is undemocratic and cumbersome, and it puts another question mark to the lack of consultation that the state conciliation and mediation officer has had with Efling.