News - 14.03.2025

VR’s Annual General Meeting to Vote on Merger with Leiðsögn

At VR’s Annual General Meeting on March 26, 2025, a proposal for the merger of VR and Leiðsögn – Tourist Guide Union will be presented and subsequently put to a vote. The agreement between the two unions from June 2024 stipulates that the merger will take place once it has been approved by the annual general meetings of both unions in 2025.

The aim of the merger is to strengthen the position of employees in the tourism industry, which has expanded significantly in recent years. It is therefore important to have strong trade unions in place for these employees. See questions and answers regarding the merger.

About Leiðsögn – Tourist Guide Union

Leiðsögn is a professional and trade union that aims to promote solidarity among tour guides and work towards improved wages, education, and professionalism. A large majority of members in Leiðsögn, around 900, are self-employed. Tour guides work under a collective agreement with the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) and will continue to do so even if the merger with VR goes ahead.

Over the past two decades, VR has merged with several retail workers’ unions in rural areas. However, if the merger with Leiðsögn is approved, it will differ from previous mergers in that Leiðsögn’s members work in a field that has not previously fallen under VR’s advocacy efforts.

Why Merge VR and Leiðsögn?

Currently, around 5,000 VR members work in tourism in various roles, representing about 17% of all employees in the industry. VR believes it is essential that employees in the tourism sector are part of strong trade unions. A merger would strengthen not only the position of tour guides but also that of all wage earners in the sector, regardless of their specific job roles.

The tourism industry is expanding rapidly, with job roles evolving quickly and extensively. Leiðsögn is a small union that lacks the resources to advocate for wage earners in the industry at the necessary level. However, VR is the largest trade union in the country and, due to its size, is better equipped to protect the rights of employees in the tourism sector and advocate for better wages and conditions. VR can represent the interests of tour guides in the same way it does for other members within the union.

Next Steps

VR has managed the operations of Leiðsögn since June of last year. VR’s collective bargaining department has provided Leiðsögn members with services related to wage agreements and labor rights, while the union’s service department has supported them in other matters.

The merger proposal will be presented at VR’s Annual General Meeting on March 26. If the merger is approved by both VR and Leiðsögn, it will take effect on May 1 of this year.