Almar welcomes municipalities’ contribution to labor deal

Almar Guðmundsson, chair of the Association of Icelandic Local Authorities, welcomed municipalities’ contribution to an agreement renewing collective bargaining agreements with VR, LÍV and the Professional Associations, mbl.is reported.

He said earlier on Thursday that it would have been disappointing if no agreement had been reached. The deal was approved late in the afternoon.

Almar also welcomed government support for rental measures that municipalities are addressing individually. He said the approach should be developed more broadly, and thanked Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir for leading the process.

He made the remarks at a press conference at the government residence, called by the prime minister to discuss private-sector collective bargaining agreements. The agreement was reached shortly before 4 p.m., just before the deadline to terminate the contracts over a failure to meet their conditions.