Union chair calls for Faroese labour associations to merge

The chair of Tórshavn’s labour association has urged Faroese workers’ groups to consolidate, arguing that unions should operate as a unified movement rather than as local entities, Faroese Broadcasting Corporation (KVF) reports.

Heri Reynheim, chair of the Havnar Arbeiðarafelag (Tórshavn Labour Association), stated that workers’ conditions should not depend on location. “If a worker in Tórshavn has it good, a worker outside Tórshavn should have it just as good—and vice versa,” he told KVF’s radio programme Breddan.

Reynheim confirmed that his association is in discussions about merging with other unions. The proposal comes ahead of International Workers’ Day on 1 May.

Currently, the coalition Verkafólk (Working People) includes the Faroese Labour Association, Tórshavn Labour Association, Tórshavn Women Workers’ Association, Klaksvík Workers’ and Women’s Association, and the Faroese Fishermen’s Association. Sonja Jógvansdóttir, coordinator for Verkafólk, said the group remains open to expanding its membership.

Both Reynheim and Jógvansdóttir appeared on Breddan to discuss the future of labour organising in the Faroe Islands.