According to Konráð Alfreðsson, vice-chairman of Icelandic Seamen’s union Sjómannasamband Íslands (SÍ), there is deep dissatisfaction among seamen who are currently on strike.
“The dissatisfaction among crews is not because of the exchange rates, as the owners seem to want people to believe,” he commented to Icelandic fisheries newspaper Fiskifréttir. “It’s because during the good years the companies pumped billions of their profits to themselves, while there was no way to reach agreements with crews.”
Agreements reached with owners’ federation SFS last year were voted down by the seamen’s unions memberships in subsequent ballots. Engineers and ships’ officers had already accepted the agreements reached with their unions.
A meeting is being held today between owners and unions at the invitation of the state arbitrator. This was the first formal meeting since they last came together on 20th of December when the unions made it plain that fuel deductions, the newbuild contribution, seamen’s tax breaks, and food and clothing costs are all issues that needed to be addressed before an agreement could be reached.
Konráð Alfreðsson commented that reaching a lasting agreement that would satisfy their crews would be the best investment the vessel operators could make, as at present they are deeply dissatisfied.
