VR has taken over member services for Leiðsögn – Tourist Guide Union based on a cooperation agreement between the unions. Leiðsögn´s office is at VR´s headquarters in Kringlan 7 in Reykjavík- and members of Leiðsögn are welcome at VR´s offices, see more here about the location and opening hours.
Leiðsögn's email address and phone number will remain unchanged. The email is info@touristguide.is and the phone number is 588 8670. Applications, inquiries, and other matters should still be sent to the email info@touristguide.is.
The cooperation between Leiðsögn and VR is based on an agreement signed at the beginning of June, aiming at the merger of the unions, subject to the approval of the general meetings of both unions in the spring of 2025.
A collective agreement has been signed between Leiðsögn and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) and The Icelandic Travel Industry Association (SAF), see news item on Leiðsögn's website.
Members of Leiðsögn approved the collective agreement, with the electronic vote taking place on Leiðsögn's website from July 9 - July 16, 2024. You can read more about the voting results here.
VR’s Annual General Meeting to Vote on Merger with Leiðsögn, see more here.
Questions and Answers Regarding the Merger of VR and Leiðsögn
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Leiðsögn – Tourist Guide Union was founded in June 1972 with the goal of promoting solidarity among tour guides. The union serves as a professional and trade union for tour guides in Iceland’s tourism sector, safeguarding their interests and working to enhance education and professional development opportunities for tour guides. Leiðsögn is therefore both a professional and a trade union (see here for Leiðsögn’s bylaws and website).
Leiðsögn currently has around 1,200 members, approximately 900 of whom are self-employed, while around 300 work as tour guides for various companies in the sector. Most tour guides are professionally trained specialists in their field, and the union includes several professional groups of tour guides.
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.
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The tourism sector has grown rapidly in Iceland in recent months, and currently, around 27,000 people are employed in key tourism industries such as travel agencies, restaurants, accommodation services, transportation, leisure activities, gift shops, and more. Around 5,000 VR members work in the sector in a variety of roles. VR believes it is essential that employees in the tourism industry 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 industry, regardless of their specific job roles.
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. Furthermore, Leiðsögn members have expressed a desire to merge with VR.
VR can represent the interests of tour guides in the same way it does for other employees within the union. The union believes that strong trade unions are essential to safeguarding the rights of employees in the tourism industry.
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The merger of VR and Leiðsögn will not directly affect VR members. There will be no changes to member services, their rights within VR funds, or any other aspects of their standing in the union. The annual increase in VR membership, excluding mergers, has been around 1,000 in recent years, which is similar to the current number of members in Leiðsögn. The increase in members primarily affects the VR Holiday Fund and VR Contingency Fund. In recent years, VR has expanded its holiday housing in line with membership growth and will continue to do so. The allocation of holiday homes will not change due to the merger. Contributions to the VR Contingency Fund have generally increased as the union has grown.
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VR membership fees are 0.7% of total wages and will not change due to the merger with Leiðsögn.
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VR believes that the contributions from Leiðsögn members transferring to VR will cover the additional costs associated with increased services. Leiðsögn owns assets that will be incorporated into VR and become part of VR’s funds.
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If the merger goes ahead, a department for tour guides will be established within VR. This department will operate under the same structure as the existing departments within the union, and it will elect its own board. Board positions in VR departments are unpaid.
Regarding the broader impact on the union, the merger will prompt a long-term review of VR’s organizational structure. The VR board has already decided to develop a long-term strategy, which will include evaluating the potential division of departments based on job roles, regions, or industries. If the merger with Leiðsögn takes place, it will be incorporated into this strategic planning.
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Over the past two decades, VR has merged with seven retail workers’ unions in rural areas: in Akranes, East Iceland, Hvammstangi, Suðurnes, South Iceland, Hafnarfjörður, and Vestmannaeyjar. In these cases, the mergers involved unions representing employees in the same industry who worked under the same collective agreement.
These mergers have strengthened VR’s ability to advocate for its members and improved services for employees in the sectors and job roles covered by its agreements.
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If approved, the merger with Leiðsögn will differ from VR’s previous mergers with retail workers’ unions because it involves wage earners in a profession that has not previously fallen under VR’s advocacy efforts and who are not covered by VR’s existing collective agreements. 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. Tour guides will not adopt the terms of VR’s agreements with SA or FA.
The collective agreement for Leiðsögn differs from VR’s agreements in several key areas, such as sick leave, termination rights, and vacation entitlement. This means that tour guides will have different and more limited rights within the VR Sick Pay Fund compared to other VR members, but their rights in other VR funds will remain the same if the merger proceeds.
A larger and more diverse VR will have greater leverage when negotiating collective agreements and advocating for members’ rights.