Amid Accusations, Labor Leader Resigns

Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, leader of Efling, Iceland’s second largest labor union, announced her intention Sunday to resign as labor leader, Morgunblaðið reports. The union has  about 30,000 members in the capital area and South Iceland. Efling’s managing director, Viðar Þorsteinsson, subsequently announced his decision to follow suit.

Their decision to resign came in the wake of a RÚV reporter’s discovery of a statement approved in June by union representatives at the office of Efling. The statement describes Sólveig Anna’s governance as “a reign of terror,” and claims she keeps a list of people to be gotten rid of, along with committing serious violations of labor contracts against staff members, such as firing them without notice.

A staff meeting was held Friday, where Sólveig Anna addressed those in attendance by offering two choices: the staff members must publicly withdraw their statement, or else she would resign.

On social media, Sólveig Anna states that the decision to resign was not easy, but unavoidable: “My job alongside the members of Efling, which is a battle for justice regarding workers’ wages and working conditions, has no credibility if the union representatives of Efling are ready to claim that I operate a workplace as bad or worse as the ones we ourselves have criticized,” she writes. She goes on to state that this matter is sure to hurt the union’s fight and the interests of union members.

Last night, she stated on social media that one of Efling’s staff members had made threats against her, which she reported to the police. That, she noted, was one of many examples of the anger expressed toward her within the union.

Meanwhile, Michael Bragi Whalley, one of Efling’s board members, states that Sólveig Anna still has the support of the majority of board members.

Another board member of Efling, Guðmundur Baldursson, claims that Sólveig Anna withheld essential information from fellow board members in order to hide office employees’ dissatisfaction. He further states she declined any suggestions for improvements and failed to live up to her responsibilities as leader. “On the contrary, she has blamed me and her staff,” his statement to the media reads.

Last night, 11 board members of Efling issued a statement in which they encouraged Guðmundur to resign from the board of Efling.

The central committee of ASÍ, the Icelandic Confederation of Labor, will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss Sólveig Anna’s position as ASÍ’s second vice president. Drífa Snædal, president of ASÍ, states she has not received a formal resignation from Sólveig Anna regarding her position as second vice president of ASÍ. “ASÍ does not interfere in the issues of member unions unless it is absolutely necessary,” Drífa states.