Georg Páll Skúlason elected to lead Iceland’s labour confederation

Georg Páll Skúlason, head of the Grafía trade union for printing and media workers, has been elected president of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ), mbl.is reported. The vote took place on the final day of the confederation’s 47th congress on Friday.

Skúlason defeated Arnaldur Grétarsson, an anthropologist and former ASÍ employee. They were the only candidates for the position.

He succeeds Finnbjörn A. Hermannsson, who announced this summer that he would not seek re-election. Skúlason has led Grafía, formerly the Bookmakers’ Union, for about two decades and has a long career in the labour movement.

He chaired ASÍ’s two most recent congresses, which were among the most difficult in the confederation’s history. One was postponed because of disagreements.

Skúlason takes office amid significant tensions in the labour movement, including disputes between the leaders of VR and Efling, the country’s two largest trade unions. He has said he takes seriously statements by Efling chair Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir about the union potentially leaving ASÍ.

He has called for efforts to resolve disagreements and said that more issues unite the confederation’s member unions than divide them. He has also stressed that internal disputes should be handled democratically and should not prevent unions from pursuing workers’ shared interests.

Delegates at the congress also rejected a proposal from ASÍ’s executive committee to reduce the number of vice-presidents from three to one. In a secret ballot on Thursday, 61% voted against the proposal and 39% supported it.