Date of Birth
19 February 1987
Union Area
Reykjavík and surrounding area
Workplace, Job and Education
I work as an emergency dispatcher at the Neyðarlínan (Emergency Line ), assisting people in distress and coordinating emergency response. Previously, I was a wage affairs representative at the trade union Efling. Before that, I worked as a journalist for Stundin and The Reykjavík Grapevine, where I focused on labor issues and workers’ rights violations.
I hold a degree in Philosophy from the University of Iceland and the University of Edinburgh, with a focus on ethics and political philosophy.
Email: tgabrielbenjamin@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tgabrielb
Experience in Union Work
Over the past three years, I’ve gained valuable experience. I started as an alternate member of the VR board, later becoming a full board member. I’ve been actively involved in various initiatives within the board and committees. From 2023 to 2025, I chaired VR’s Equality and Human Rights Committee, where we launched a campaign to promote inclusion of foreign union members in the workplace. The campaign included social media, television, and holiday ads. In 2025, I became chair of the Wage Affairs Committee, where we’ve been reviewing the outcomes of the last collective agreement and preparing the union for upcoming negotiations. Since 2024, I’ve represented the Commercial Federation of Iceland (LÍV) in the central board of ASÍ and chair ASÍ’s newly established Future Committee.
Key Focus Areas
There is uncertainty around whether our current collective agreement will remain in effect due to inflation-related conditions. If negotiations reopen, I’m ready to step aside from my day job to focus fully on the union’s negotiating committee. It’s crucial to work toward agreements that benefit VR members and improve quality of life during times of inflation and high interest rates, while also promoting better work–life balance.
Whether negotiations happen this autumn or not, we will be well prepared. Our task now is to protect and strengthen members’ purchasing power. VR has led the way among Icelandic unions in advocating for its members, and many challenges lie ahead. Whether facing companies that exploit inflation, responding to the impacts of technological change on the labor market, or defending the interests of families and foreign workers—I'm ready to do the work.