Police ‘sickies’ lead to station closures
Grensásvegur Police Station closed today.
A considerable number of officers of the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police have called in sick today, in what appears to be unofficial strike action in protest at low pay.
Despite a written warning from the Icelandic Finance Ministry that such action is illegal, large numbers of policemen and women have not turned up for work today, owing to “illness”.
There are also reports of absences in police forces in other parts of the country.
In a statement released in response to the situation, Reykjavik Metropolitan Police warn that “not all tasks will be able to be performed today, although those considered most urgent will of course be prioritised, as always”.
Two Reykjavik police stations (on Grensásvegur and in the district of Grafarholt) have had to close completely because of the absences.
Snorri Magnússon, Head of the National Police Federation of Iceland, denies any organised efforts for such action on the part of the Federation, saying that “we cannot answer for the actions of individual members”.
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