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A POTENTIALLY damaging strike by workers at up to nine fish meal plants in Iceland has been called off.
The unions abandoned their strike threat, due to begin on Tuesday night, because of a lack of domestic unity among the workers. Staff at two plants in the south west of the country said they would not take part in industrial action.
A union spokesman said the decision to call off the strike was a painful one, but he believed it was the correct one.
"The union's position is thought to have weakened in the last few days as the war of nerves between the two sides intensified," he added, speaking about a lack of solidarity among the unions. "We will now keep working towards trying to get a satisfactory agreement, but without the strike weapon."
The Iceland Labour Confederation had been in touch with their counterparts in those countries asking them not to handle any capelin vessels. Normally Icelandic school students on half term break help out with the processing at this time of year and the union has appealed for them not to do anything that might be considered strike breaking.
The dispute threatened to bring country's capelin processing operation to a standstill and pelagic trawlers will have to stop fishing. The cost to the country's fishing industry would have been high, with the employers claiming it would cost up to 10 billion kroners - around £50-million sterling.
The dispute had been simmering for several weeks over a new pay and collective agreement claim.The employers had tabled a couple of offers which were rejected and then Iceland's Industrial Relations Court intervened. Negotiations will continue next week under the direction of state officials.
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