What is BHM?
Bandalag háskólamanna, Confederation of University Students, was founded in 1958 and is the umbrella organization of professional and trade unions of university-educated people in the Icelandic labour market. Within BHM, there are currently 28 member associations with a total of around 16,000 members who work in various industries, both in the public sector and in the open market.
The role of BHM is to:
- Strengthen the member associations and promote mutual support and solidarity between them.
- Enhance members' knowledge of wage and rights issues.
- Formulate the joint strategy of the associations in their interests.
- Negotiate on matters of common interest and rights according to agency.
- Assist the associations in drawing up collective agreements.
- Protect the interests of members with respect to the state and the legislature.
- Initiate a discussion about university education and the position of university graduates in the labour market.
- Conduct regular analysis of wage trends in the labour market for the preparation of wage negotiations.
- Cooperate with sister organizations of university graduates and other similar organizations abroad.
- Manage the operation and administration of the member associations' collective funds according to service agreements.