A new position of a labor and rights representative for university students will be established as part of a collaboration agreement between the Student Council of the University of Iceland (SHÍ) and Viska. This is the first time such a service will be available to university students in Iceland. This is not only a milestone in SHÍ’s services to university students but also a new step in the service offerings of Icelandic labor unions.

Arent Orri J. Claessen, President of SHÍ, and Gauti Skúlason, Communications and Marketing Project Manager at Viska, signed the agreement at Háskólatorg recently. The labor and rights representative will provide services and advice, in addition to raising awareness among university students about their rights in the labor market.

“We at SHÍ are incredibly proud to be able to offer students at the University of Iceland a labor and rights-related service, and we believe this position is long overdue. Such a service has never been offered before in Iceland, so this is a historic milestone in student services. The next step is to advertise the position of the labor and rights representative at the SHÍ office, and shortly after, this new service will be available to students at the University of Iceland. We at SHÍ are very happy with our collaboration with Viska and are excited for the future,” says Arent Orri.

At Viska, a special service for university students was established, which works in such a way that students who register with Viska gain access to all of its services, including free smart insurance for computers, phones, and bikes.

“The position of the labor and rights representative for university students is based on a Nordic model, where it has proven its importance. In conversations with university students, we have found that there is significant demand for education on labor rights and conditions among young people, and we want to respond to that call. By establishing this position, we aim to emphasize support for young people who are acquiring knowledge and higher education, as they are a crucial group for the future. In this way, we are demonstrating in practice that university students matter,” says Gauti.