General strike is effective as of 17 February

All pre-school children in Reykjavik will be affected to a varying degree, in addition to some 1,650 users of the City’s welfare services.  Waste will not be collected during the strike, and waste-drop-off centres will not be served or cleaned.  Snow removal and slippery prevention on bicycle- and walking paths will not be carried out.

Some 1,850 staff out of 9,000 city workers belong to the Efling Labour Union.  They provide diverse services in some 129 workstations throughout the city.

Impact on schools and welfare services

The impact of the general strike will mostly be felt within the 63 preschools run by the City of Reykjavík. The effects vary, depending on the composition of their staff and how many are members of Efling, but most will only be able to offer limited services.  In most preschools, the children will be divided into groups and offered accommodation on a rotation basis.

The food service offered at the City’s compulsory schools will also in many cases be impaired, and students attending those schools are encouraged bring their own lunch packages. The longer the strike goes on, the cleaning of some compulsory school will be impacted to the extent that they may have to be closed temporarily. 

Guardians will not be charged for cancelled services nor for impaired food service at schools.

The City’s Welfare Services have been granted exemption for those of their staff who provide care for the most vulnerable groups such as for disabled people, the elderly and children living in homes or at home, and those in need of emergency assistance.

The longer the strike lasts, the more the users of the welfare services will be affected.  Cleaning of homes of the elderly and disabled will be cancelled, as well as bathing assistance.  Food will not be served at community centres, and Þorrasel Day Care Centre for the elderly will be closed during the strike.

Waste management and city maintenance services

Waste will not be collected during the strike. Waste-drop-off centres will not be served nor cleaned. Snow removal and sanding on bike and walking paths, for example at pre- and compulsory school grounds, will not be carried out. Other security measures and city infrastructure services will be disrupted.

City authorities feel obliged to encourage residents to remain cautious when traveling around the city, and make sure to keep the areas around waste centres and garbage bins as tidy as possible.