International Workers' Day: Called for the government to demand ceasefire in Gaza

In her speech on the occasion of International Workers' Day, chairwoman of Efling Union, Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, called on the Icelandic government to condemn the Israeli government. She did not mince words and said that the Icelandic government is suffering from a deep sense of submission when it comes to the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Jónsdóttir read from the poem "The May Star" by Halldór Laxness , and dedicated the text to the people of the Gaza Strip. She went on to say that the ruling class in the West was "psychotic and corrupt" and added that more than 34 thousand people had been "murdered" by the Israeli government with the support of the US and the ruling class in Europe. It would be almost unbearable to talk about the number of dead.

“But we must not be depressed when we face such terrible events. We must stand together and demand that the Icelandic government abandon its pathological subservience to the United States and stand with the people of Palestine on the international stage,” she said.

She also called for the Icelandic government to condemn the crimes of the state of Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire and the freedom of the Palestinian people to live in their own beautiful country.

Different origins are not a problem

In her speech, Jónsdóttir praised the Efling Union people for their dedication and for having made Iceland’s ruling class take into account the interests of the trade union in the recent winter and for raising awareness that repression and profiteering would not be tolerated.

She said it was vital that Efling Union always looked at what united the Union, but never at what separated its members.

“We in Efling Union reject the lie that different origins are a problem in human relations. We see them as a strength,” she said.

“Our diversity and solidarity are the real catalyst of change and progress in Icelandic society,” she added.

“We hate being oppressed, we hate being subordinated, we cannot bear to be slighted."

Sólveig Anna said that the workforce creates value and sustains the whole society.

“Our workforce will make us unbeatable.”