Efling union is throwing a big family celebration for its members on Labor Day, May 1st. The celebration will be held at the Whales of Iceland Museum at Fiskislóð 23-25 in Reykjavík and will begin at 3:00 PM, following a protest march and outdoor meeting in the city center. A wide variety of food will be served, but the following food will be available: Pizza Hamburgers Donuts Donuts Ice Cream Candy Pops Coffee and cakes Then the fun will not be bad. Below you can see the highlights, but the list is by no means exhaustive: Dj Sunna Ben will keep the party going The Labor Union's brass band will play for guests Incredible circus acts The balloonist comes and balloons Face painting for the children Photo booth The ticket to the family entertainment costs only 500 krónur and everything is included in the price. Each Efling member can buy up to five tickets. Tickets are on sale in the Efling online store on My Pages and will start on April 17th. Wristbands that grant access to the entertainment must be picked up at the Efling office in Guðrúnartún 1, before April 30th. First come, first served.
The Efling Board of Trustees is closely monitoring the government's response to the economic situation. The Board of Trustees meeting was in progress when the government's press conference was announced tomorrow, Friday. At the meeting, the Board of Trustees agreed to begin preparations for the establishment of a negotiating committee, which will handle the company's negotiating mandate if new wage negotiations occur in the fall following the possible termination of collective agreements. On this occasion, the Board of Trustees would like to remind you of the following: Efling members together with Breiðfylking showed great courage in the wage negotiations in the winter of 2023-2024 and supported responsible wage negotiations, where protection against inflation was one of the main pillars. Today, the situation has arisen that Efling members, the working and low-wage workers of the Capital Region, bear the heaviest burden of the economic situation that has gotten out of hand. The wealthy can withstand high interest rates and inflation, but low-income households cannot. The Efling Board of Trustees demands that the company be directly involved in the discussions and decision-making that are taking place to respond to this situation. The Board of Trustees points out that at the recent Efling Parliament, four resolutions were approved with detailed proposals for improvements. None of them cost the treasury a single króna. These include a rent brake, penalties for wage theft and a requirement for objective reasons for dismissals of workers in the general labor market. The Board of Trustees calls on the government to listen to the voices of workers and low-wage workers, to meet objective demands decisively and to prevent conflicts in the labor market that could have been prevented in the fall.
Efling union's annual general meeting took place at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica yesterday, March 26, and was well attended by members. In her address following the board report, Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, chairwoman Efling , went over the whole stage and emphasized that the struggle Efling members was far from over, in fact it would never end. "We have achieved success - and we should be proud of what we have achieved together. But at the same time, we must face the many problems that are still unresolved," she said. Sólveig Anna harshly criticized the housing situation and the impact of high-interest policies on workers. She pointed out that a large portion of members were forced to spend the majority of their income on housing costs and that this would not be resolved. "We have rejected the idea that we can wait for justice. We must seek it ourselves," said Sólveig Anna and emphasized the importance of solidarity and the independent voice of workers. She then warned against planned changes to unemployment insurance, saying they send a “terrible message” to those who need support the most. She also criticized the lack of sanctions for violations of collective agreements and called for legislation against wage theft. At the end of her address, she emphasized that workers’ patience would run out if real action was not taken. “Either employers and the government listen to our demands and respond with real action – or the consequences will be serious as soon as this fall.” Strong financial position and growth Perla Ösp Ásgeirsdóttir, Managing Director Efling , presented the company’s accounts, which show a very strong position. Revenue increased by almost 16% between years and amounted to just over 4.2 billion krónur. Profitability improved significantly and the operating result for the year amounted to 722 million krónur. The company’s total assets increased by almost 1.5 billion krónur and equity now stands at around 17.6 billion krónur. It was also noted that costs had increased less than expected and that the company's operations were characterized by restraint and responsibility. In the case of Perla, it was stated that strong emphasis had been placed on strengthening services to members and building infrastructure for the future, including through investments in housing, information technology and holiday homes. Election of the board of directors announced Þórir Jóhannesson, Vice Chairman Efling , presented the results of the nomination committee. Since no counter-nominations were received, the company's board of directors was elected automatically. The Efling Board of Directors is now composed of the following: Chairman: Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir Vice Chairman: Þórir Jóhannesson Secretary: Guðmunda Valdís Helgadóttir Treasurer: Michael Bragi Whalley Co-chairmen: Alexa Tracia Patrizi Gréta Íris Karlsdóttir Hjördís Bech Ásgeirsdóttir Hjörtur Birgir Jóhännuson Hlynur Gauti Ómarsson Ian Phillip McDonald Karla Esperanza Barrlaga Ocon Mary Jane Gonzales Munoz Rögnvaldur Ómar Reynisson Sigurjón Ármann Björnsson Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson Thanks to the outgoing board members The meeting also included farewell to the outgoing board members, Guðbjörg María Jósepsdóttir, Innocentia Fiati and Olga Leonsdóttir. They were thanked for their work and welcomed with thunderous applause, as the meeting attendees rose from their seats to thank them for their work. Bylaws approved Proposals for bylaws were also submitted at the meeting. They concerned the merger of two funds within the company and were approved unanimously without comment. The general meeting thus confirmed both Efling strong financial position and a clear policy in the wage struggle, with an emphasis on increased workers' rights and a tougher response to the challenges facing the labor and housing markets.
