Articles of Association of the Commercial Federation of Iceland (LÍV)
Chapter I
Name and Objectives
Article 1
The federation is called the Commercial Federation of Iceland (abbreviated as LÍV).
Its registered office and legal venue are in Reykjavík.
Article 2
The federation is a national organisation of employees working in the commerce, office, and service sectors.
Article 3
The objectives of the federation are:
- To serve as a common platform for its member unions in their efforts to improve the terms, conditions, and other interests of their members.
- To support and assist the member unions in their activities, such as in labour disputes and collective bargaining.
- To promote increased cooperation among member unions.
- To work towards coordinated rules and mutual support among member unions.
- To ensure that member unions are as strong and capable as possible, and that no union is so small that it cannot provide its members with all necessary services.
- To coordinate the fundamental collective bargaining policies of its member unions and to participate in the negotiation of collective agreements, as authorised by the member unions from time to time.
- To promote vocational training, professional development, and continuing education for union members.
- To represent its member unions in joint matters and in other issues entrusted to it by agreement.
- To engage in cooperation with other organisations of wage earners, both domestically and internationally.
Chapter II
Conditions of Membership
Article 4
All trade unions of commercial workers or divisions of such unions that meet the conditions of these Articles of Association may become members of the federation.
Article 5
Applications for membership shall be submitted in writing to the federation’s board.
The application shall include the union’s Articles of Association, fund regulations, and information on the number of members.
The board may grant a union provisional membership in the federation, valid until the next LÍV Congress, which shall make the final decision regarding the union’s membership.
Article 6
Each member union shall annually send the LÍV office its financial statements, certified by a chartered accountant.
Furthermore, each union shall submit reports on membership, board composition, and activities using the forms provided by the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ), in accordance with ASÍ’s regulations.
If a report and financial statements have not been received within twelve months from the end of the previous financial year, the federation’s office shall immediately follow up on the matter in the manner deemed most appropriate.
If this does not yield results, and it is known that a union has not held its annual general meeting for an entire calendar year or has not prepared annual financial statements, the Chair of LÍV — or others appointed by the board — shall request a meeting with the union’s board to ensure that an annual general meeting is held.
If no annual general meeting has been held for two years, the LÍV board shall convene such a meeting within the union and ensure that the financial statements are approved and a new board elected.
Article 7
A union that has been granted membership in the federation may not implement amendments to its Articles of Association until such changes have been approved in writing by the LÍV board and the Executive Board of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ).
Chapter III
Congress
Article 8
The LÍV Congress holds the highest authority in all matters concerning the federation. It shall address all issues relating to the federation and its member unions.
The Congress is deemed lawfully constituted if it has been properly convened and when at least two-fifths of the delegates are present.
A regular Congress shall be held every two years before the end of November. Notice of the Congress shall be sent in writing to all member unions at least two months in advance, together with a draft agenda. The LÍV Board shall determine the location and time of the Congress.
Attention shall be drawn to the six-week deadline for member unions to submit matters for inclusion on the agenda.
The fixed agenda items of a regular Congress shall be:
a. Approval of credentials
b. Report of the Board
c. Financial statements of the federation
d. Work and financial plan for the next term
e. Determination of the levy to the federation
f. Election of the Board
g. Amendments to the Articles of Association, if proposals have been submitted
h. Election of the Election Committee
i. Financial statements of the vocational training funds
In other respects, the Board shall determine the Congress agenda, which shall be sent to the member unions at least four weeks before the Congress begins.
In addition to the items determined by the Board, the agenda shall include proposals submitted by individual member unions, provided that such proposals have been received by the Board in writing at least six weeks before the Congress.
Article 9
Delegates to the Congress may submit proposals on any matter they wish to have discussed and decided at the Federation’s Congress, subject to the approval of the Congress, cf. Article 32 regarding amendments to the Articles of Association.
All proposals submitted shall be in writing, signed by the proposer(s), and supported in writing by no fewer than five delegates in total, including the proposer(s).
Article 10
The Board may convene an extraordinary Congress with two weeks’ notice if it considers there to be sufficient reason. The Board is obliged to convene an extraordinary Congress if a majority of member unions request it in writing.
Article 11
Election of Delegates and Voting Rights
The total number of delegates to the LÍV Congress shall not exceed 90.
Each union or division within the federation is entitled to elect at least two delegates to the Congress, regardless of the number of members.
To calculate the total number of delegates for each union or division, the same formula shall be used as that applied to the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) Congress in the preceding year. Delegates shall be allocated proportionally based on the number of members in each union or division, ensuring that the total number of delegates does not exceed 90.
The election of delegates shall be completed no later than two weeks before the Congress, unless the LÍV Board grants a specific exemption.
Each union shall also elect alternate delegates equal to at least half the number of its regular delegates.
With the approval of the Board, a member union or division may send more delegates to the Congress than its size would normally allow. Such delegates shall have the right to speak and propose motions but not the right to vote. Requests for such participation must be submitted to the Board no later than one month before the Congress.
Article 12
The election of delegates to the Congress shall take place at a meeting of the union and must be specifically announced with at least three days’ notice.
However, a general vote of all members shall be held if the union’s board decides to do so, or if demanded by 75 members or one-fifth of the total membership, whichever is fewer.
When a general vote is held, it shall be conducted as a list election. For a list to be validly submitted, it must be supported by 25 members or one-fifth of the membership. A list proposed by the union’s board shall also be considered valid.
The vote shall be supervised by a three-member Election Committee, two elected by the union’s board and one appointed by the LÍV Board, who shall serve as Chair of the Election Committee. Alternate members shall be appointed in the same manner.
The Election Committee must provide those submitting lists with a copy of the electoral register for the relevant election no later than two days before election day.
The general vote shall otherwise be conducted in accordance with the ASÍ Regulation on the Implementation of General Votes.
Article 13
Delegates representing a union that owes levies or other required payments to the Federation shall not have the right to participate in the Congress.
However, the LÍV Congress may grant such delegates permission to attend as observers without voting rights.
Article 14
Eligibility for Election
Those eligible for election to positions of trust within the Federation are individuals who work in the relevant sector and are full members of the commercial workers’ unions or divisions that are affiliated with the Federation.
Article 15
Congress Staff
The Chair of the Federation shall open the Congress and preside over its sessions until the President of the Congress has been elected.
A President, Vice-President, and two Secretaries shall be elected.
The outgoing Board shall prepare all elections other than the election of the new Board, cf. Article 8. Delegates may nominate candidates other than those proposed by the Board and the Election Committee.
Committees:
A seven-member Election Committee shall be elected to prepare the election of the Board and auditors. The committee shall remain in function between Congresses until the election has concluded. Its proposals shall be presented at the opening of the Congress.
The Board of the Federation shall appoint a three-member Credentials Committee, which shall begin its work prior to the Congress.
The Congress may establish other committees or working groups as deemed necessary.
Article 16
Election of the Board
The Board shall consist of seven regular members and seven alternates, elected at the regular Congress of the Federation.
The Board’s term of office shall be two years.
The Chair of the Federation shall be elected separately, followed by the election of six other regular members and seven alternates.
Elections shall be conducted in writing and based on nominations. The Election Committee’s proposals shall be presented at the beginning of the Congress, and any alternative nominations must be submitted within two hours of the opening of the Congress.
If the number of nominees does not exceed the number of positions to be filled, they shall be declared elected without a vote.
Elections shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.
Article 17
The Board shall elect from among its members a Vice-Chair and a Secretary, and shall otherwise allocate responsibilities internally.
If any officer of the Board resigns during the term of office, the Board shall elect a replacement from among its members to serve for the remainder of the term until the next Congress.
Article 18
Voting Procedures
Voting on motions shall be conducted by a show of hands unless a written ballot is requested.
A written vote must be held if five delegates request it, and it may be conducted electronically.
A simple majority shall determine the outcome of all votes unless otherwise provided for in these Articles of Association.
Chapter IV
Responsibilities of the Board
Article 19
The Board shall manage all affairs of the Federation between Congresses and, within the limits set by the Federation’s Articles of Association and Congress resolutions, may bind the Federation by its decisions and actions.
Article 20
If a dispute arises between member unions, or between a member union and the Board, concerning matters related to the Federation — such as the interpretation of laws or directives — the Congress shall resolve the dispute, and such a decision shall be binding on all parties, including determinations as to which disputes fall under this provision.
The Congress of the Federation shall determine the procedure for handling such cases.
Article 21
The Board shall meet when convened by the Chair or when requested by two Board members.
A meeting is considered valid when a majority of the Board members are present.
Chapter V
Congress of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ)
Article 22
Delegates to the ASÍ Congress
The LÍV Board shall allocate the seats at the ASÍ Congress that are assigned to the Federation in accordance with ASÍ’s Articles of Association. These seats shall be distributed according to the following rule:
Of the total number of delegates allocated to LÍV, four seats shall first be set aside. The remaining seats shall then be distributed proportionally among member unions and divisions based on the number of full-time equivalent members, as calculated from income figures for the previous year in accordance with ASÍ’s regulations, excluding exempt members.
However, any union or division with more than 50 members shall be entitled to at least one delegate.
In calculations, fractions below 0.5 shall be rounded down, while fractions of 0.5 or higher shall be rounded up.
When allocating the four seats that were set aside as described above, the Board shall consider which union or division would be next in line to receive a delegate according to the proportional formula.
Before finalising the allocation of these seats, the Board shall consult with other national federations within ASÍ regarding the representation of divisions of commercial workers belonging to those federations.
Article 23
The LÍV Board shall notify its member unions of the allocation results under Article 22 no later than six weeks before the ASÍ Congress.
Member unions shall then be required to conduct elections for their ASÍ Congress delegates and alternates from among their members.
Eligible candidates shall be full members of the commercial workers’ unions or divisions affiliated with the Federation who receive wages under the LÍV/VR collective agreement.
The election of delegates shall be completed at least one month before the ASÍ Congress, and the results shall be reported to LÍV.
If any member union fails to conduct its election in accordance with Paragraph 1, or if any member unions do not intend to use the seats allocated to them, they shall notify LÍV at least two weeks before the ASÍ Congress.
The LÍV Board shall then reallocate any vacant seats as soon as possible, following the same rules and criteria as those used for the initial allocation.
Article 24
If unforeseen circumstances arise at the last moment and a member union is unable to use the seats allocated to it, the union must notify LÍV without delay.
No later than one week before the annual Congress, member unions that wish to do so may send LÍV information regarding their alternate delegates who are willing to step in at short notice.
Based on this information, the LÍV Board shall prepare a joint list of alternates, from which it may allocate replacements during the final days before the Congress if any seats become vacant.
Delegates shall be listed in the same order as the regular delegates are arranged under Article 22, and alternates shall be called to attend the ASÍ Congress in that order.
If a listed alternate is unable to attend, the next person on the list shall be called, and so on.
Chapter VI
Finances
Article 25
Levy to LÍV
Member unions of LÍV shall pay a levy to the Federation.
The regular Congress shall determine the percentage rate of the levy, and the tax base shall be the same as that used under the ASÍ rules for calculating the ASÍ levy.
Article 26
The levy shall be payable four times a year — on 1 February, 1 April, 1 July, and 1 October — and shall be paid in advance for one quarter at a time.
The first three payments of the year shall be based on the member union’s levy payments for the previous year.
If a member union fails to pay its levy to the Federation — including both the LÍV and ASÍ levy portions — by the due date, penalty interest shall accrue on the outstanding amount from the tenth day after the due date (in accordance with ASÍ’s regulations).
Article 27
A union established during the year shall pay a proportional levy corresponding to the time of year it gains membership in the Federation.
Article 28
Levy to ASÍ
LÍV shall collect levies from its member unions on behalf of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) in accordance with the rules set forth in the ASÍ Articles of Association.
Article 29
Travel and Accommodation Costs
The Federation shall not compensate delegates for loss of income. However, the Board may authorise the payment of travel and accommodation expenses for delegates when special circumstances apply.
Article 30
Federation Accounts
The Board shall finalise the Federation’s accounts for each calendar year no later than 1 March and ensure that the audited accounts, signed by a certified public accountant, are available by 1 April each year. The accounts shall be submitted to the next regular Congress.
In years when a Congress is not held, the accounts shall be presented to a meeting of LÍV Chairs. They shall then be submitted for final approval at the following Congress.
Chapter VII
Amendments to the Articles of Association
Article 31
The Articles of Association of the Federation may be amended only at a regular Congress.
There shall be two readings of any proposed amendments.
To be adopted, an amendment must receive the approval of two-thirds of the votes cast at the Congress.
If a general vote is held, it shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.
Proposals for amendments must be submitted to the Board no later than six weeks before the Congress, and the Board shall send them to the member unions so that they receive them at least two weeks before the opening of the Congress.
Chapter VIII
Other Provisions
Article 32
Meeting of Chairs
A meeting of the Chairs and the LÍV Board shall be held in any year when a Congress is not convened.
Article 33
No union affiliated with the Federation may admit a person who is in debt to, or otherwise in unresolved dispute with, another union within the Federation, or who has been expelled from such a union, unless authorised in writing by the board of the union from which that person was previously a member.
Article 34
If a member union violates the Federation’s Articles of Association, rules, or resolutions, the Board may expel the union from the Federation. However, the next Congress shall make the final ruling on the matter.
Article 35
Withdrawal from the Federation shall be valid only if approved by a majority vote in a general ballot among the members of the union or division concerned.
The ballot shall be held if such a proposal has been approved at a legally convened union meeting, provided that notice of the proposal was included in the meeting agenda.
The ballot shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) regarding general ballots.
The withdrawal must be submitted in writing and delivered to the LÍV office in a verifiable manner.
A union that withdraws from LÍV immediately forfeits its voting rights and eligibility for election within LÍV, has no claim to the Federation’s assets or funds, and retains no membership rights.
Upon approval of a union’s withdrawal, its representatives automatically lose their mandates to hold any positions of trust within the Federation.
Notwithstanding the withdrawal, the union remains liable for levy payments to the Federation for six months from the beginning of the month following the withdrawal.
(Adopted at the 34th Congress of the Commercial Federation of Iceland (LÍV), Reykjavík, 30–31 October 2025)
A note on the translation: This is a automated machine translation, and it may contain errors. When in doubt, please consult the Icelandic text.