The role of the negotiations committee is to act on behalf of the union during collective bargaining. The committee has among other things the mandate to put forth the demands of the union, to make a plan for the organization of negotiations, to make proposals for contracts, to participate in contract negotiations and to end them, to ask for the conciliation of a mediator regarding contract proposals and to sign collective agreements. Additionally, the committee approves strike notices before they are put up to a vote among members.

The committee attends contract negotiations meetings with counterparties but also has its own meetings that are announced and directed by the chairman. Being in the committee entails considerable work, but committee members are not required to attend every single meeting. Members of the negotiations committee may have the right to attend meetings without loss of pay from their employer (see information below).

The role of the negotiations committee is explained in the bylaws of Efling and in the laws on labour unions and industrial disputes.

On September 20th 2022 a call for nominations to the negotiations committee was issued and the first appointment of the negotiations committee was approved in the meeting of the delegate council on October 22nd.

The negotiations committee is allowed to appoint members to work with it as it deems necessary each time. According to the decision of the board of Efling on November 3rd, 2022, all members are allowed to nominate themselves as substitute members while it is operating. Furthermore, all properly appointed union representatives are automatically substitute members of the negotiations committee. The chairman summons substitute members to work with the committee as necessary.

Members who want to nominate themselves are asked to fill out this form.

The negotiations committee has issued its demands on SA (The Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise). They can be read in a pdf file here.

The preparation for the demands on the state and regarding the pension fund system are in progress.

By clicking on this link, you can see all the news on the Efling website regarding the negotiations committee and related issues: News on the Collective Bargaining.

The right of union members to participate in the work of the negotiations committee without loss of pay depends on the clauses of the collective agreements.

Private Sector – Union Reps

According to clause 13.2 of the collective agreement of Efling with SA, properly appointed union representatives in the private sector have the permission to spend time fulfilling their role as union reps without loss of pay. They are to consult with their supervisor. The permission covers work that union reps are asked to perform by their union because of their role as union reps, but that includes tasks of the negotiations committee. This means that union reps do have the right to a paid leave from work if meetings of the negotiations committee land on their working hours.

Private Sector – Not Union Reps 

Members of the negotiations committee from the private sector who are not union reps do not have the right for a paid leave from work if meetings of the negotiations committee land on their working hours.

Public Sector 

The contracts of Efling with the Iceland state (16.6), the city of Reykjavík (15.8), and other municipalities (14.2), care homes (16.6) and private preschools include clauses that state that those who are appointed to the negotiations committee should get leave from work to perform this task without reduction of their regular salary. Such absence from work is to be reported to the supervisor with a reasonable notice. The permission is not exclusively for union reps, but union reps do in addition have an open permission to perform tasks that their union asks of them.