Unions and Pension Fund

Collective wage agreements are agreements between unions and employers and contain the wages and employment terms of workers. Employers and employees may not agree to lower wages or worse employment terms than those guaranteed in the collective wage agreements.

BHM - Icelandic Confederation of University Graduates

BHM is an umbrella organization for its member unions. Each member-union represents employees with particular qualifications or professions.

Various benefits are offered for BHM members, imperative information on them and all the funds available are published on the BHM site.

University of Iceland employees mostly belong to three of BHM member unions:

FH - The Association of University Teachers

The Association of University Teachers (Félag háskólakennara) serves most University employees and doctorate students. Do not hesitate to contact the union for any information relating to your employment rights and benefits.

FH Managing Director - Helga Birna Ingimundardóttir helgabirna@hi.is

Contact info: 525-4770  / fh@hi.is

FÍN - The Union for Natural Scientists

FÍN serves a number of UI employees in the field of natural sciences, earth sciences and biological sciences. New employees can apply for membership. More information on the union and the application form can be found on the website.

The application form can be found to the left at the bottom of the page, a blue button named "Umsókn um aðild".

Contact info: 595-5175 / fin@bhm.is

State University Professors Union

The State University Professors Union is for all professors employed at the Icelandic state universities; the University of Iceland, University of Akureyri, the Agricultural University of Iceland and Hólar University College.

Contact info: 525-5415 / fpr@hi.is

Union for Public Servants

Sameyki - Union for Public Servants is a union for those who work in the public sector but do not have a university degree. Sameyki does not belong to BHM.

All employees who are members of one of the three unions within BHM earn rights after six months of employment. Various benefits are tied to a membership of BHM.

Being a member gives the right to apply for various funds managed by BHM. Relief Fund, Vacation Fund and Vocational Training Fund are the most important ones.

More information on each fund can be found on the BHM webpage.

Additional funds are available at the other unions, more information can be found on the FH website.

By law, all employed individuals in Iceland must pay a premium to a pension fund. This premium is usually 4% of wages, complemented by another 11,5% paid by the employer. Public servants, including employees of the University of Iceland, are obliged by law to pay their pension premium to the Pension Fund for State Employees (LSR).

For further information please contact LSR the pension fund info tel: 510-6100 / lsr@lsr.is

All employees have the option of making an agreement with the employer on additional pension savings "séreignarsparnaður". Employees can add up to an extra 4% of their wages to additional pension savings. With such an agreement the employer pays additional as well but the maximum 2%.  For instance, if the employee pays 2%, 3% or 4% the employer will in all cases pay 2%.

Application -  Agreement on Additional Pension Savings - in Icelandic only.

Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA can apply to have their pension premium reimbursed if/when they choose to return to their home country.

Citizens of the EU/EEA can have their pension premium reimbursed after the age of 60.

Further information, rules on reimbursement and reimbursement application can be found on the fund webpage.

Application - Reimbursement of Pension Contributions made by foreign Citizens.

For further information please contact the pension fund info tel: 510-6100 / lsr@lsr.is