Icelandic Merchant Ship Crews Join Strike
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Icelandic merchant shipping crews went on strike Tuesday, joining a six-day walkout in the fishing fleet that has idled the island nation’s fishing industry.
About 1,000 members of the merchant seamen’s union struck at midnight Monday after failing to gain a 20% wage increase in negotiations with ship owners. News reports said that the talks, supervised by a government mediator, are continuing.
The strike is expected to cripple Iceland’s three major shipping lines in a week’s time as the North Atlantic island nation’s 50-odd commercial vessels sail into ports.
Remaining in port were an estimated 200 trawlers and large fishing vessels idled by a strike by about 5,000 crew members demanding a 12% pay raise.
Wage talks broke down Monday between trawler owners and crews, whose strike began on New Year’s Day and subsequently idled 6,000 workers in the onshore fish industry.
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