The board of Efling union approved at its meeting on May 13 a support declaration for strike actions of Norwegian members in the cleaning sector within the sister union Norsk Arbeidsmandsforbund. In the declaration, colleagues in Norway sendr are sent struggle and solidarity greetings. The declaration follows below. The board Efling sends struggle greetings and expresses full support for the strike actions of staff in the Norwegian cleaning sector under the leadership of our sister union NAF. The members of Efling recognize the courage and the great work required to organize an effective strike. The board is also well aware of the necessity to improve the terms and conditions of workers in the cleaning sector worldwide, including in Iceland and Norway. Efling believes in the power of the union and wishes our collaborators in Norway the best possible success in their struggle. Norwegian version Efling expresses support for Norwegian colleagues in strike. The board of the Efling union adopted at its meeting on May 13 a support statement for the strike actions among Norwegian colleagues in the cleaning industry within the sister union Norsk Arbeidsmandsforbund. The declaration includes messages of struggle and solidarity to the colleagues in Norway. The declaration follows below. The board of Efling sends a greeting of full solidarity with the striking workers in the Norwegian cleaning sector, led by our sister union NAF. The members of Efling know what courage and hard work are required to organize a successful strike. The board is also aware of the need to improve the terms and conditions for workers in the cleaning industry globally, including in Iceland and Norway. Efling believes in the power of collective action and wishes our colleagues in Norway the greatest possible victory in their struggle.
Stefán Ólafsson writes: The Central Bank is cooling the economy, hoping to bring down inflation. It does this by keeping interest rates high, which bites at indebted households and businesses. However, it does not work on foreign price increases, nor on inflation due to rising housing costs, nor on demand expansion of indebted and high‑income individuals and companies, nor on expansion due to private consumption of a large number of tourists. These measures of the Central Bank have ultimately shown to deliver only limited results and are increasingly extremely unfair in the distribution of burdens. But the Central Bank's method certainly cools the economy, it almost reduces economic growth and increases unemployment. That is the cost of applying the high‑interest policy. Recently the analysis department of Landsbankinn published its economic forecast for the years 2026 to 2028, which assumes growth of only 1.6 to 1.8% over the next three years. That is less than the projected population growth in the country, according to the Statistics Iceland forecast. Growth per capita will therefore be negative. In reality, this means that the economy has entered a stagnation that is expected to continue at least until 2028. This can be seen in the picture below, which shows growth per capita.
Last Monday, May 4, 30 Efling members graduated from Vocational Course III in Kitchen and Canteen Work, from the Secondary School in Kópavogur (MK). The courses have been held for years in collaboration between Efling and the school, and numerous Efling members have attended them, adding to their knowledge and laying the foundation for further studies. A special feature of the graduation was that the students themselves took care of the food that was served. They cooked main courses and desserts from their countries of origin, and offered guests a variety of delicious treats. Efling and MK have offered three vocational courses of this type and most of the students who graduated now had all three vocational courses. Most of them did this in parallel with full-time work and traditional family life, which speaks volumes about the hard work behind the group. The vocational courses have proven to be a first step in further education for many and five students from this graduating group have already registered for continuing food service training. The vocational courses are intended for staff who work in cooking or service in kitchens and canteens. The training is fully paid for by Efling . The courses include both practical and theoretical teaching that is useful in the workplace, and in vocational course 3, special emphasis is placed on menu planning, cooking for vegetarians and people with allergies and intolerances. The courses are taught in Icelandic with extensive Icelandic support, where vocabulary related to the course material is reviewed. This arrangement has proven successful, both in strengthening vocabulary in cooking and giving participants the opportunity to practice Icelandic in connection with real-life work situations. Efling sincerely congratulates its members on their success.
