VR-members, exercise your right to vote!

Right now, all VR members have the opportunity to cast their vote in a general election for leadership of the union. I would like to encourage VR members to use their right to vote in the upcomin election and remind members of foreign origin that all members have the right to vote, irrespective of their citizenship. I will cast my vote on Halla Gunnarsdóttir as a Chair for VR.

I have been a member of VR since I moved to Iceland to work for Alvotech. My colleagues come from over sixty different countries and many of them have never been union members before coming to Iceland. This can be a challenge for shop stewards like myself, who sometimes have to help people understand the role unions play in the Icelandic job market, as well as the protection and services they offer. I am a proud member of VR and have been active within the union, as a member of its Consultative Council (trúnaðarráð) and a delegate at the biannual Congress of ASÍ (the Icelandic Confederation of Labour).

It was at the ASÍ Congress that I first met Halla Gunnarsdóttir formally, who then was the Deputy Chair of VR. Shortly after she became the union leader and has served as such since Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson was elected as a Member of Parliament. Halla immediately came across as a very thoughtful leader. She is inclusive and deeply interested in the work and life of different members of VR. She has visited Alvotech and showed great interest in supporting me and my fellow shop steward in ensuring all VR members at our office understand the rights and obligations they have in the Icelandic job market. Most of us negotiate our own salary, but we still rely on the framework provided by VR through collective agreements to make sure we enjoy the right to rest, be sick and go on holiday.

I trust that Halla will make a good Chair for VR and I look forward to continuing our collaboration in the years to come. The vote is open until noon tomorrow, Thursday. All further information is available on vr.is and more info about Halla is to be found on halla.is.

Christopher Eva, member of VR Consultative Council and shop steward at Alvotech.