News - 03.08.2026

Today is a day off, and tomorrow the fight begins anew

When the Commerce Workers’ Holiday was celebrated for the first time in 1894, it marked a turning point. At that time, working people had no summer holiday, and weekends off were by no means a given. Commerce workers, however, were given a day off, and the Reykjavik Commercial Workers’ Union organised an outdoor celebration with speeches, games, brass music and singing. This was on 13 September, and the story, which is well documented on the Icelandic Web of Science and in the writings of Árni Björnsson, does not say whether the weather was kind to commerce workers, but the outdoor festivities lasted from noon until late in the evening.

Beer and lemonade

The Commerce Workers’ Holiday later merged with Reykjavík’s national festival celebrations, which were organised with the involvement of numerous associations. Shortly after the turn of the century before last, however, the two went their separate ways, as temperance advocates had gained a majority on the national festival committee and decided that the serving of alcohol should be banned entirely. Commerce workers could not accept this and held their own celebration, where “beer and lemonade” were served. The interplay between the labour movement and the temperance movement is no doubt material for an interesting study, as these movements developed around the same time and the former clearly had some influence on the latter!

Gradually, the Commerce Workers’ Holiday became a public holiday on the first Monday in August, and by the middle of the last century the Commerce Workers’ Weekend had taken the form it has today. At the same time, the labour movement made considerable progress in the fight for holiday rights for working people, but the interplay between work and private life remains one of VR’s most important issues. The union’s Holiday Fund not only supports the extensive development of holiday homes around the country but also provides members with grants through the VR Contingency Fund to go on holiday and enjoy a change from everyday life. We take it for granted that we can have a continuous break from work and change our surroundings, but these are rights that were once unknown and required a great struggle.

The premises of collective agreements are failing

At present, the Commerce Workers’ Holiday also marks a certain turning point, as for many people, everyday life resumes after the holiday, when summer holidays come to an end. Preschools reopen, and schoolchildren start preparing for a new school year. At VR, things will be anything but quiet, as the premises of collective agreements are failing, and this will be confirmed by the index measurement at the end of this month. We have placed strong emphasis on the fact that collective agreements cannot be allowed to run their full course unless companies and the authorities shoulder their responsibility and honour the promises they have made. Contrary to those promises, there have been huge price, and tariff increases that fuel inflation, while meaningful action on housing issues is progressing far too slowly. This inaction could easily lead to a situation where we have no choice but to terminate the collective agreements, and we have already begun preparations for collective bargaining.

But today is a day off! Let us enjoy it and thank previous generations for the fight for holiday rights and luxury. Let us skip shopping out of respect for shop assistants and the history of this day and stand united in the fight ahead!

Happy Commerce Workers’ Holiday!

Halla Gunnarsdóttir
Leader of VR

The article was first published in Morgunblaðið.
The photo of Halla was taken by Ragnar Visage.