ASÍ leaders split over plan to cut vice-presidents

The three vice-presidents of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ) are divided over a proposal to reduce the number of posts from three to one, mbl.is reports. The confederation’s 47th congress opens today.

Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, chair of Efling and ASÍ’s second vice-president, strongly opposes the proposal. Halla Gunnarsdóttir, chair of VR and the third vice-president, supports it. First Vice-President Hjördís Þóra Sigurþórsdóttir generally favours having one deputy, but says keeping more than one could make sense under the current circumstances.

Hjördís said she had opposed previous decisions to increase the number of vice-presidents, first to two and then to three. However, she said the posts could help contain disagreements between the chairs of the two largest unions.

Sólveig said Efling’s board and its delegates to the congress were firmly against the change, warning it could intensify divisions within the labour movement. She also argued that reducing the number of posts would make it harder for representatives of manual workers to be elected to ASÍ’s leadership.

She said it was unusual that Arnaldur Grétarsson, a VR member, was running for ASÍ president while Halla was seeking the first vice-president post. Sólveig is also running for that position but said she expected to lose, citing the large group of delegates from VR and the Federation of Icelandic Commercial Workers supporting Halla.

Halla said vice-presidents have a limited role under ASÍ’s rules, which assign them mainly to take over the president’s duties in the event of the president’s absence. She said discussion and decisions should instead take place in the confederation’s central committee, and questioned whether having several vice-presidents had eased disagreements.