Progress towards a settlement between Icelandic seamen and vessel owners came to an end yesterday when the seamen’s unions walked away from the negotiating table.
Three of the issue on the table have been settled, but things came to a halt over the percentage of catch values deducted to cover fuel costs before shares are calculated. This is currently 30% and unions want it reduced to 27% so that shares are reckoned on 73% of catch values. The seamen’s tax breaks that were abolished in 2009 are also a stumbling block and the unions are demanding a daily rate to compensate for this loss.
According to the unions, the owners’ federation has refused to budge on what they feel are justified claims.
Vessel owners’ federation SFS has responded by stating that the three unions involved are responsible for significant damage to the national economy.
“The demands that the three unions have put forward to have been listened to and there has been a strong will on SFS’s part to meet them,” said an SFS spokesperson. “It is clear that it is not possible to agree to all of their demands.”
The unions state that it is a disappointment that negotiations have come to a halt, even though progress has been made and the negotiating delegations have worked well together.
“The owners are not prepared to meet the seamen’s main demands and this is the reason for talks running aground,” a union spokesman said.
No new meeting between the parties has been scheduled so far, although by law this has to take place within two weeks.
