Nurses in Iceland sign new collective agreement after nine-month hiatus

Nurses in Iceland have signed a new collective agreement that will remain in effect for the next four years. These healthcare professionals had been without a contract for nine months prior to this signing. The details of the new agreement will be presented to members in the upcoming week.

The head of the Icelandic Nurses Association, Guðbjörg Pálsdóttir, noted that the negotiations took longer than expected but involved continuous efforts throughout the nine-month period. She observed that whereas good things often take time, the last round of negotiations lasted 20 months.

The new contract will be introduced to nurses starting Monday, following which members will have the opportunity to vote on the agreement. The voting process is scheduled to begin on November 20 and conclude on November 25. Guðbjörg expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating she is eager to share the agreement with the nursing community.

In closing, she emphasized that while the negotiation process was lengthy, her commitment to securing a fair agreement motivated her to persist until a satisfactory resolution was reached.