News - 19.04.2024

Democracy at work is long overdue

A challenge to the leadership of unions in Iceland to accept its call for greater democracy at work was passed at a meeting held by VR for representatives of the labor union movement on 18 April. Real democracy is a prerequisite for people, companies, institutions, and society to flourish, the resolution of the meeting states.

The meeting was held on the initiative of the future committee of VR and invited representatives of the labor union movement in Iceland to participate. The aim was to discuss how to increase the involvement of workers in decisions that affect their work, but VR has been at the forefront in calling for greater democracy at work for the last few years. It is unacceptable that the staff who create the value are not included when decisions are made that have a profound effect on their jobs and future. Iceland is an exception when it comes to staff involvement in decision-making, because unlike the Nordic countries, working people in Iceland do not, as a general rule, have representatives on the boards of the companies they work for.

Foreign experts on employment democracy held interesting lectures on the subject. Isabelle Schömann, Deputy General Secretary of the ETUC, Sara Lafuente, expert from ETUI and Richard Wolff, professor of economics and founder of Democracy at work discussed democracy at work from many perspectives and held a discussion about the situation and the future aims of the labor union movement.

At the end of the meeting, a resolution was adopted, pointing out the importance of the involvement of workers and their organizations in decision-making to ensure justice on behalf of working people.

The full resolution reads as follows:

The VR meeting on democracy at work, held on Thursday, 18 April 2024, calls on the leadership of workers unions in Iceland to accept the call for a focus on increased democracy at work in Iceland.

The importance of taking a long-term perspective in business operations is indisputable, and now that companies and organizations face changes due to technological changes and the use of artificial intelligence, it is important to ensure that the benefits accrue to all stakeholders. The interests of the staff and society as a whole must be considered, and not only the narrow interests of maximizing profitability.

Likewise, the climate crisis and the response to it have multiple effects on workers, and it is important that the emphasis is on a just transition and the democratization of decision-making, where workers participate in shaping their own future.

This calls for the involvement of workers and their unions to ensure justice on behalf of working people. Decades of experience in Europe with the involvement of workers in the management and strategic planning of workplaces through consultation and employee board level participation (BLER) shows that the time has come for workers in this country to be represented on the boards of their workplaces.

A functioning democracy is a prerequisite for the flourishing of people, companies, institutions, and society.