News - 07.06.2024

VR and Leiðsögn to Merge

VR and Leiðsögn – Tourist Guide Union have signed an agreement to merge the two organizations, which will fully take effect in the spring of 2025, pending the approval of their respective general meetings. This merger aims to strengthen the position of tour guides in the labor market and tourism workers in general, whose numbers have significantly increased in recent years.

Until the merger is finalized, VR will manage the operations of Leiðsögn under an operational agreement, with Leiðsögn being run as an independent organization in the meantime. The services provided to Leiðsögn members will remain largely unchanged until the merger, with the exception that VR's labor relations specialists will provide all services related to employment matters and rights in the labor market to Leiðsögn members.

Tourism in Iceland has expanded rapidly in recent years, and under such circumstances, it is crucial to have strong and effective trade unions to protect the interests of workers in the industry. Leiðsögn has about 1,100 tour guides with diverse knowledge and specialization in this field, and VR already has several thousand members working in tourism. By combining their efforts, VR and Leiðsögn hope to strengthen the position of tour guides and workers in various tourism jobs for the future.

The photo shows Halldór Kolbeins, chairman of Leiðsögn, and Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, chairman of VR, at the signing of the agreement.