Efling Chairwoman Slams Union Leader Over EU Stance

Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, the chairwoman of the powerful Efling union, has sharply criticized Kristján Þór Snæbjörnsson, a Member of Parliament and former vice-president of the Icelandic Federation of Labour (ASÍ).

“

Kristján acts as if ASÍ's position has been unassailable since then, clear and simple; he might as well try to claim that we are still primarily using feature phones and fax machines. The assertion is, in short, nonsense and rubbish.

Jónsdóttir accused Snæbjörnsson of being "brazen and unconscionable" for presenting ASÍ's stance on the European Union as clear-cut. She referenced a Facebook post by Snæbjörnsson, which claimed ASÍ has long supported accession talks with the EU, based on a 2009 policy.

"Kristján acts as if ASÍ's position has been unassailable since then, clear and simple; he might as well try to claim that we are still primarily using feature phones and fax machines," Jónsdóttir wrote. "The assertion is, in short, nonsense and rubbish."

“

The assertion is, in short, nonsense and rubbish.

The article notes that leaders of ASÍ's member unions are divided on EU accession. Consequently, ASÍ has decided to remain neutral in the lead-up to a referendum, despite the formal policy from 2009, which has not been revised. Finnbjörn A. Hermannsson, president of ASÍ, stated that there is no longer a majority within the federation supporting accession.

“

As everyone who knows anything about the leadership of ASÍ's member unions knows, it is divided on the issue. I, Villi Birgis, Aðalsteinn in Húsavík, Valmundur from the Seamen's Union, Tryggvi from Eining-Iðja, to name a few, are all against accession as has been stated.

Jónsdóttir further expressed surprise at comments made by Dagur B. Eggertsson, a fellow Social Democrat and colleague of Snæbjörnsson, in an article about ASÍ's EU policy. She described attempts by Snæbjörnsson and his allies to portray an old policy as current political will as "absurd in every way and contrary to the actual state of affairs."

“

This attempt by Kristján and his colleagues in the Social Democratic Party to pretend that an old policy is the same as the political will of the Federation of Labour now is absurd in every way and contrary to the actual state of affairs.