Timarit Eflingar

TÍMARIT EFLINGAR-STÉTTARFÉLAGS 23 In the beginning of the MeToo movement 2017 immigrant women were amongst the women who shared their experience of Icelandic labor market “ At my job there are only myself and two men. They don’t hurt me with their hands but with their words. They some- times say stupid foreign whore and cunt. ” “ My daughter was sick and I had to pick her up from kindergarten. ...When I told my boss I had to go because she was sick, he said: “ All right, but first you have to suck me. ” He was not laughing, just looking at me and I was scared. I’m married. Then he said “ Go, but you won’t be paid for the rest of the day ” and went upstairs. ” “ I worked as a cleaner for a rich family in Reykjavík. ...Sever- al times I came to the home to clean when the husband was home. He flirted with me and told jokes in poor English. I forgot a rag in the bedroom and had to go back in to get it. He followed me inside and pushed me against the wall with his body. He held my wrist, sniffed my head and licked me from my cheek down to my breasts. He said “ I always wanted to know what a colored woman tasted like. ”” “ I work with a man who is always patting and pinching my ass and sometimes my chest! He is one of the boss- es. He says that only black women have a nice ass like me. Nobody says anything. I can’t stand it but I have to work, I need the money. ” Negotiations for new collective agreements took a long time and ended in hardhitting strikes in tourism. For the first time in Icelandic history Romanian, Polish, Filipino, Icelandic women, women from all over the world left their work in city hotels on Women’s Day to rally in Reykjavík city center. They walked out of hotel laundry rooms and onto the street. The strikes showed that the fighting spirit and solidarity among workers is great. Many of them did not have the right to vote in Parliamentary elections, but they were able to more clearly express their demands here than they could on the ballot. The fight of Efling was driven by workers. Theirs was the struggle, theirs the victory. 75% of unemployed members are foreigners The COVID-19 crisis started last spring, after a yearlong downturn in Icelandic tourism and other related industries. The economic contraction associated with the pandemic has affected foreign nationals much harder than Icelandic citizens. For example, general unemployment stood at 10.6% compared with 24% for foreign nationals in November of last year. 41% of the unemployed were foreign recidents, a disproportionally hight amount. The difference is even greater when looking at Efling members, of the 3.700 unemployed members 75% were of foreign origin and 25% were Icelandic as of last October. It is of note that 66% of Efling members who are unemployed are under the age of 40 and it is far more common for women of foreign origin than Icelandic women to be unemployed. Foreign women make up 36% of all unemployed Efling members, while Icelandic women make up only 9%. It is not surprising that the highest unemployment is found among members who work in restaurants, accommodation, cleaning and construction. Weaker base of support The experience of Efling members shows that foreign workers find it much more difficult to deal with unemployment than Icelandic workers. Foreign workers have a more difficult time getting back to work because their social support networks are less extensive than Icelandic workers’. Language barri- ers also make it more difficult for them to seek information regarding their rights, job openings, opportunities for study and other useful information. It is no secret that this group is more vulnerable to employers than others. Bjarkarhlíð’s pilot project for victims of human trafficking also shows that there are reports of labor trafficking in Iceland. Foreign workers are in a more vulnerable position due to a lack of connection and barriers of language or culture. Weaker bases of support makes things more difficult for foreign families with children. It is less likely they can rely on their extended family to offer assistance with the costs of necessities, school meals for children and leisure activi- ties. Unemployed foreign workers increasingly seek financial assistance from municipalities and aid agencies due to the low and reduced unemployment benefits. Lastly, it is important to note that Efling’s foreign workers are more likely to rent than Icelandic members. This is true for both new immigrants and foreigners that have lived in Iceland for some time. In 2015, Anna Wojtynska and Hallf- ríður Þórarinsdóttir published a report On the Housing Condi- tions of Polish Immigrants in the Capital Area , which stated that Polish immigrants had low wages, mostly lived in rented housing and did not receive any housing benefits. A recent survey by Maskína for Efling and another for Varða showed clearly that foreign members were much more likely to rent and were more concerned about housing costs than their fellow Icelanders. We take responsibility Workers drove economic growth and supported the tourism industry. They have made a valuable contribution to society. We are to listen to them and ensure them a decent livelyhood and hope for a brighter future. This goal can be acheived in several ways: increasing the supply of public sector jobs, improving the rental market, building more affordable hous- ing, raising the basic unemployment benefits, increasing infor- mation available in foreign languages, ensuring rights and systematically working to eliminate labor trafficking. Last but not least, families with children and other vulnerable groups need to be cared for. Our experience from all over the globe shows clearly that nothing is more important, when societies go through crises such as the world is going through now, than fighting for economic justice. Working people and the lowest paid from all over the world are in the front lines.