Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Laimdota Straujuma
Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia
Education: 1994-1999 – 1-2 week courses in Denmark (Management Training, Economics and Accounting),
Finland (The Linkage of Research and Entrepreneurship), Great Britain (The Consultation Systems of the World),
USA (Application of Research and Scientific Results in Practice), and Belgium (The EU legislation); 1992 – PhD.
Economics (Dr.oec.), Doctoral Thesis “Assessment of the Use of Manufacturing Resources by the Latvian
Companies”.
Work experience: Since January 22, 2014 Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia
October 25, 2011 – January 22, 2014 Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, Minister; January 2010 –
October 2011 – Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Deputy State Secretary;
January 2007 – December 2010 – Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government, State Secretary.
Valdis Dombrovskis
Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue
Member of the European Parliament; Member of the Latvian Parliament; 2009-2014 Prime Minister of the
Republic of Latvia; 2005-2007 Professional Master's degree in customs and tax administration, Riga Technical
University; 1993-1996 Master's degree in physics, University of Latvia.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Vitālijs Gavrilovs
President of Employers' Confederation of Latvia (LDDK)
Since 2005 Investments company “Ice-Balt Invest” Ltd co-owner and vice-chairman; Since 2004
Consulting and investments company “VITALIAN” Ltd co-owner and chairman of the board;
2003- 2010 Joint Stock Pharmaceutical Company “GRINDEKS” (JSC Tallinn Pharmaceutical Company,
JCS “Kalceks”) co-owner and vice chairman of the supervisory board; 1985-2004 Brewery JSC “Aldaris”,
chairman of the board & president;
Social activities: BUSINESSEUROPE (former UNICE), Member of the Council of Presidents; Latvian
National Tripartite Council, co-chairman; Latvian Economic Council, member of the board; European
Economic and Social Committee, member.
Uldis Augulis
Minister for Welfare
Education: 1999 - 2003 University of Latvia, Finance Management;
Work experience: 2014 - Minister for Welfare; 2011 - 2014 Member of the 11th Saeima; 2011 – 2014
Chair of the Central Land Commission; 2008 - 2009 Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare;
2001 - 2006 Board Member, Union of Rural Territories; 2001 – 2006 Member of the Council, Latvian
Association of Local and Regional Governments.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Juan Meléndez Valdés
Director, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND)
Degree in Psychology, a master in Industrial Psychology and Human Resources and a postgraduate
degree as a specialist in European Communities. Juan Menéndez-Valdés served for 11 years as Head of
Employment, Immigration, Education and Training Policies at the Spanish Confederation of Business
(CEOE) and 10 years serving the Spanish Government in the National Employment Service (INEM). From
2007 until 2009, he was Chair of the Governing Board of Eurofound's sister organization, the European
Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP).
Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard
Deputy Regional Director, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Educational background in economics and business administration, with a specialisation in marketing
and international business development. Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard was appointed Deputy Regional Director
for Europe and Central Asia in 2013. She previously held a variety of positions in ILO HQ and ILO field
offices, including ILO Country Director for Viet Nam and Deputy Director for the Decent Work Technical
Team of South-East Asia. She also served as Senior International Specialist in Enterprise Development,
as well as Global Programme Manager of “Job Quality in Small Enterprises”.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Jordi Curell Gotor
Director, Directorate0General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), European
Commission
Jordi Curell has a law background and since 1986 has worked in different positions in the European
Commission, including in DG Employment, where he was responsible for coordinating the preparation
and implementation of the European Social Agenda and afterwards in DG Education and Culture at the
head of the Directorate for "Higher Education and International Affairs", where he leaded the
negotiations on the new Erasmus+ programme.
Renate Hornung Draus
Chair of Social Affairs Committee of European Business Confederation BUSINESSEUROPE
Renate Hornung-Draus is Managing Director and Director of European and international affairs of the
Confederation of German Employers - BDA. Chair of BUSINESSEUROPE’s Social Affairs Committee. Vice
President of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and Employer-Vice-Chair of the ILOGoverning Body Subcommittee on Multinational enterprises. Member of the Advisory Board of the
Birmingham Business School and member of the Board of “Gesellschaft für Europäische Sozialpolitik e. V.
(GES)”.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Patrick Itschert
Deputy General Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
Degree in Humanitarian Studies, Sint-Jozeffs Collage, Aalst (NL) and Diploma in Economics from
Université Libre de Bruxelles (FR). For 20 years held the post as a General Secretary of the European
Trade Union Federation. Since 2011 elected as Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union
Confederation at the Athens Congress.
Maxime Cerutti
Director Social Affairs, BUSINESSEUROPE
Director of BUSINESSEUROPE’s social affairs department since January 2012. In his current role, he is
responsible for a diverse portfolio of social affairs and labour market policy issues. In 2013, he was
employer’s’ spokesperson for the negotiations on the framework of actions on youth employment.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Pēteris Krīgers
President of Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS)
Since 2002 - President of Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS); since 2004 - European
Economic and Social Committee Advisor; since 2014 – member of National Development Council.
Līga Meņģelsone
Director General of Employers' Confederation of Latvia (LDDK)
Director general in Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK) since August 2011. She is representing
interests of employers in the dialogue with Latvian Saeima, government, trade unions, regional partners
both, at the national and EU level.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Roland Zwiers
Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Social and Economic Council (SER) of the Netherlands, Representative
of Dutch Tripartite Cooperation Council
For this SER-committee Roland Zwiers prepares the yearly consultation with the Dutch minister of
Economic Affairs on the EU Spring Council/ the European Semester. He represents the SER at the EESC
in Brussels and frequently attends the meetings of the Steering Committee Europe 2020. Earlier in his
career, Roland Zwiers has worked as a political journalist for the Dutch press agency ANP (1994-1998),
as an editor of the Dutch economic weekly ESB (1992-1994), as an economist for the Dutch Ministry of
Finance (1990-1992), and as a teacher at the University of Amsterdam (1988-1990).
Raymond Hencks
Member of the Executive Committee of General Civil Service Confederation of Luxembourg (CGFP),
Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Also member of the board of Post an Telecom Enterprise Luxembourg and member of the chamber of
civil servants.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Vladimira Drbalova
Director of the Department of International Organisations and European Affairs, Confederation of
Industry of the Czech Republic (SPČR), Member of the European Economic and Social Committee
(EESC)
In 1981 graduated University of Economic Studies, Prague, Foreign Trade as well as in 2000/01
completed course on European Studies Europeum in Charles University, Prague.
Gijs van Houten
Research Officer, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
(EUROFOUND)
Works on the European Working Conditions Survey and the European Company Survey – focussing on
issues of job quality, work organisation and employee involvement – and is the coordinator of
Eurofound’s Survey Methodology Working Group. Obtained a Masters in sociology at Radboud
University Nijmegen and a PhD in social science at Utrecht University. He lectured in quantitative
research methods at University College Dublin and in policy analysis and institutional theory at Utrecht
University. Before joining Eurofound in January 2010 he worked at the Netherlands Institute for Social
Research (SCP).
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Allan Jones
Representative of European Broadcasting Union
Works in the Human Resources Department of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - the world’s
foremost alliance of Public Service Media with Members in all EU Member States and which operates
Eurovision and Euroradio. Leads the employers group in the EU Audiovisual sectoral Social Dialogue
Committee (AVSDC). Represents the EBU on other European bodies including the EU cross-industry SDC
where he is a member of the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services
(CEEP) delegation. Member of the EBU HR Steering Committee and the CEEP Social Affairs Board. Allan
has been working for the EBU since 2008. At the BBC he was the BBC’s HR Policy Manager and his
particular areas of interest were employment policy and labour law.
Cees Schoenmakers
Representative of Dutch Employers Organization, VNO/NCW
Graduate of Higher Vocational Education in Commerce and Economy. Working as managing director of
a development and educational fund, raised by the social partners in retail, wholesale and agro/food,
named CKO. Member of the EU ESF Committee on behalf of the employers in the Netherlands.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Zanda Martens
United Services Union ver.di, district Düsseldorf-Wuppertal-Solingen
In 2008 completed MA in Law from the University of Latvia, in 2012 second MA in Law from the RuhUniversitay Bochum where she currently is doing her doctoral studies. She worked for Administrative
Court in Riga, Trade Union Confedertion of Latvia, DGB Rechtsschutz in Duisburg, and Arbeit uad Leben
NRW in Dusseldorf.
Aivars Strakšas
Vice-President, SJSC Latvijas Dzelzceļš.
Obtained masters degree in Economics from Latvia University of Agriculture. Has been an Adviser to the
Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, a Member of Supervisory Board of JSC Hipotēku un
zemes banka, a Member of Supervisory Board of JSC Latvijas Pasts, a Chairman of Supervisory Board of
the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection, an Adviser to the Minister of Finance of the Republic
of Latvia.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Aleksandrs Muhlinkins
Deputy Chair, Latvian Railway and Transport Industry Trade Union
Degree in Agronomy from Latvia University of Agriculture. Begun his career in Trade Unions in 1994.
From 2000 holds Deputy Chair post in Latvian Railway and Transportation Industry Trade Union. Also
Mr Muhlinkins is a member of Nationsl Tripartite Cooperation Council of Latvia.
Pirkko Nikula
Senior International Adviser of Finnish Trade Union Confederation STTK
In 1976 graduated from Commercial Collage, in 1978 completed French studies in University of Toulouse
– Le Mirail, and in 1992 obtained diploma in Cooperate Communication. In the past has been working for
Finish Paper Workers’ Union and Finish Commercial Branch Union. Since 1990 works as a Senior adviser
in STTK Confederation in Nordic and Baltic cooperation unit.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Sverker Rudeberg
Representative of Confederation of Swedish Enterprise/ Svenskt Näringsliv (SN)
Sverker Rudeberg is a lawyer working for the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise since 2001. His
activities include coordination of collective bargaining and responsibility for Social Affairs at European
level. Member of BUSINESEUROPE´s Social Affairs Committee.
Salvis Lapiņš
Member of the Board, JSC Olainfarm Trade Unions
Graduate in Law from Latvian University and Riga International School of Economics and Business
Administration. Works as a head of the Finance department and have more than 15 years’ experience in
finance and pharmaceutical industry.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Rudīte Bērziņa
Representative of JSC Olainfarm Trade Unions
After graduating Olaine’s Technical Collage Mrs Bērziņa dedicated her professional career to
pharmaceuticals. In 1972 joined AS „Olainfarm”, currently have more than 40 years of the experience in
the industry.
Andreas Henkel
Crafts and Trades Division Austrian Economic Chamber
Dr. Henkel in 1983 finished his Ph.D. in jurisprudence at University of Vienna, Austria. Since then he worked
in various governmental institutions, for 17 years he was expert-member of Enterprise Programme
Management Committee of DG Enterprise, EU-Commission, EIPC. For 13 years in Economic Policy
Department, Federal Economic Chamber of Austria, since then responsible for Social Dialogue, SMEpolicy, Construction policy, European Forum Alpbach, Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Ethics
(both until 2007). And for 10 years as Secretary General of the Austrian Advisory Council for Economic and
Social Affairs.
Role of Social Dialogue in Ensuring the Economic Growth and Qualitative Work Places
Irini Ivoni Pari
Permanent Representative of SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises) in Brussels and at the BUSINESSEUROPE,
Member of EESC
In 1986 obtained degree in Political Science and International Relations from Panteion University, Athens. In 1988
Higher Diploma in European Studies from Universite Libre de Bruxelles. Since 1995 works as a Head of the
Brussels Office of SEV – Hellenic Federation of Enterprises. Also since 1995 a Member of the Committee of the
European Social Dialogue. Moreover for more than 17 years member of the European Economic and Social
Committee.