The main hearing has started
Magnús Þór Jónsson, chairman of the Icelandic Teachers' Union, attended the main hearing yesterday. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
The main hearing in the case of parents of preschool children against the Icelandic Teachers' Union regarding the implementation of strike action began at 3 pm yesterday in the Reykjavík District Court.
The parents consider the strike action illegal in light of the fact that it only affected a small group of children. This has discriminated against their children.
Teachers in a total of nine schools stopped work on October 29th. The strikes covered all school levels but were only indefinite strikes in preschools. The actions were temporary at other school levels.
Haraldur Freyr Gíslason, chairman of the Preschool Teachers' Association, has criticized the parents' actions.
Strikes at four preschools lasted five weeks until the parties to the dispute reached an agreement on a peace obligation at the end of November. The strikes were then postponed for two months, but they will resume on February 1st unless an agreement is reached before that time.
Important to decide on the legality
A group of parents of children at the four preschools where indefinite strike action was taken, decided to sue the Teachers' Union to determine whether the actions were legal. These are the preschools Drafnarsteinn in Reykjavík, Holt in Reykjanesbær, Ársalir in Sauðárkrókur, and Seltjarnarnes preschool.
Kristófer Már Maronsson, a father of three and one of the group, said in an interview with mbl.is yesterday that the decision to take KÍ's action was not taken lightly or in a hurry, but out of dire necessity. In light of the impending strikes, it was important to decide whether the actions were legal.
He repeatedly said that the parents were not trying to deprive teachers of their right to strike, as the chairman of the Preschool Teachers' Union has said in the media. No one doubts that teachers have the right to strike, but Maronsson points out that the right is not unlimited.
"We are testing whether these strikes are being carried out correctly, we do not believe it is beyond doubt and believe that the implementation discriminates against our children and primarily affects them. To my knowledge, this implementation of a strike has not occurred in the public labor market among municipal employees before. The result is likely to set a precedent. If the result is in our favor, it means that the implementation of the strike would have to be changed. Teachers, just like others, would still have their right to strike," he said.