Eimskip and Faroe Ship have received a strike notice from the Seafarers’ Union of Iceland.
The indefinite action, scheduled to begin at 12:00 on May 25, will involve bosuns and able seamen working on the company's vessels Brúarfoss, Dettifoss, and Selfoss.
According to the company, wages under the contract which expired at the end of last year, had changed in line with general labour market increases under the stability agreement. These adjustments also included additional agreed wage increases for these specific roles, it added.
Although a temporary vessel strike was previously scheduled for April 12-15, the union withdrew that notice on April 8. Meanwhile, a temporary strike by harbour employees remains scheduled for the period of May 26-28 after being postponed from April 13.
To avert the strikes, discussions involving Eimskip, the union, and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise are ongoing with the State Conciliation and Mediation Officer. Eimskip said that offers have been proposed and expressed hope that an agreement can be reached.
The company stated that the vessel strike will alter sailing schedules, while the separate harbour strike will reduce operational capacity in Sundahöfn, where approximately 40 per cent of employees belong to the union. Eimskip noted that its personnel are currently exploring all options to minimise the overall impact on customers.