Union strike in Iceland threatens tourists to be ‘trapped’ in the country

In Iceland, located in Europe, close to countries like Greenland, United Kingdom and Norway, a union strike, driven by truck drivers and the hotel sector, puts the local population — and especially tourists — in a state of alert.

Last Wednesday (15), truck drivers from oil companies, in addition to the hotel sector (which went on strike last week), paralyzed their activities asking for a wage readjustment in response to the increase in inflation in the country, strongly impacted by the crisis. of the Euro, even though it is not part of the European Union and the “Eurozone”.

In one of the most egalitarian countries in the world and with the highest Human Development Index on Earth (0.959, occupying the 3rd place in the ranking), the strike sends a “warning signal” to the local population and mainly to tourists, who are at risk of being “stuck”.

General context of the strike

Because it is an island located in a region close to the North Pole, it depends on the importation of basic inputs, such as different types of food, in addition to oil.

And one of the biggest sources of income for the country is tourism, representing almost 10% of the entire GDP. Volcanic landscapes, black sand beaches and visits to see the Aurora Borealis are just some of the tours.

The strike affects precisely these two sectors: the import sector, which takes gasoline and inputs, and the hotel sector, responsible for tourism.

The “epicenter” of the strike takes place in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and the city with the highest population concentration on the island.

“There was the negotiation committee and there is this stoppage with more than 1,700 members, there are the hotel sector and truck drivers and the consequences are going to be very big,” said influencer Kellen Bull, who lives in Iceland, to CNN .

“We have already started to feel the effects of the strike with more scarce gasoline, then the consequences beyond transport, the issue of food and the forecast is that by the end of the week there will be a shortage of some supplies”, he added.

FF Expeditions, a tourism company focused on Brazilians in Iceland, CNN said that despite the strike being national, “the threat of shortages and lack of goods, for the time being, is limited to the greater Reykjavik and that in the interior, in addition to the large stock, the cars have larger gas tanks and, therefore, do not are feeling, at the moment, the effects of the strike”.

However, they warn that “if this lasts, everyone will be strongly affected”.

“Stuck” tourists without a hotel

One of the points also addressed by Kellen was the field of tourism. With the sector and the main hotels closed, according to the local newspaper Reykjavík Grapevine, the expectation is that there will be no more vacancies for tourists this week.

In addition to accommodation, another point is transportation to tourist attractions. Without gasoline, they won’t be able to get to them either.

Without a hotel and without transportation, another problem that is foreseen is that, due to the lack of fuel, international flights will be canceled this weekend, making it impossible for both the arrival and the departure of tourists.

wanted by CNN the Brazilian embassy in Norway (responsible for jurisdiction in Iceland) has yet to respond.

Popular support and government action

Despite the serious consequences for the economy, the strike finds a lot of popular support, with street protests.

Kellen also says that, with the repercussions, more movements can join the movement.

“It is having a lot of popular support, with manifestation in the streets and the expectation is that more union movements adopt the strike”, he said.

Lara Yumi, a Brazilian waitress who also lives in Iceland and participates in the demonstrations, told CNN also the main claims.

“In addition to the salary increase, they also ask for an allowance, since the cost of living in the capital has become more expensive and the rent has practically doubled, but they did not agree. The cost has not kept up with our earnings,” she reported.

She also told how the protests are in the political view: “We try to be heard by the government. The prime minister (Katrín Jakobsdóttir) even met with a representative of ours, but there was no progress. From a political point of view, the three main parties in Iceland are against the movements, but the smaller ones are supporting it”.