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Reykjavík City facilitates the creation of long-term collective wage agreements
The City Executive Council approved today to participate in the government and municipal declaration on making 4-year collective wage agreements, including measures to curb service fee increases that affect families with children and to ensure that school meals become free of charge.
City councilors from the majority parties, the Social Democratic Alliance, Progressive Party, Pirate Party, and Liberal Reform Party in the City Council, along with the city councilor from the Socialist Party, approved the following resolution at today's City Executive Council meeting:
The City Executive Council resolves that Reykjavík City intends to facilitate the creation of 4-year collective wage agreements designed to reduce inflation and interest rates. Reykjavík City believes that moderate collective wage agreements with this aim offer significant wage benefits for all residents. Therefore, Reykjavík City is ready to participate in the government and municipal declaration which includes Reykjavík City's commitment to curb fee increases related to children and families, collaborate with authorities to bridging the gap between parental leave and preschool, and ensure that primary school meals be free of charge with 75% financial participation from the government throughout the contract period.
City Executive Council members from the Independence Party abstained from the matter and submitted the following record:
Representatives of the Independence Party believe it is correct for Reykjavík City to facilitate the creation of 4-year collective wage agreements with the aim of reducing inflation and interest rates. Moderate collective wage agreements with this aim will offer significant wage benefits for all residents. The representatives of the Independence Party believe it is right for Reykjavík City to participate in the government and municipal declaration which entails Reykjavík City's effort to curb fee increases pertaining to children and families, and to collaborate with authorities to bridge the gap between parental leave and preschool. However, the representatives believe it is appropriate to explore other means to ensure wage benefits and welfare for families with children, rather than through free primary school meals.
The observer from the Left-Green Movement had left the meeting when the matter was addressed but the observer from the People’s Party submitted the following record:
The People’s Party agrees with this resolution and sincerely hopes that the collective wage agreements will be signed as soon as possible. However, the representative of the People’s Party would have liked the declaration to specify how much to 'curb fee increases'. What percentage are we talking about here? The People’s Party has strongly protested fee increases in recent years that have disproportionately affected the disadvantaged. Furthermore, fee increases have directly translated into the cost of living.