Featuring Georges Dassis, President of the EESC Workers' Group, and Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister of Latvia, the day will be dedicated to examine the "Investment Plan for Europe" of 315 billion euros, proposed by the Juncker Commission and ways to concretely achieve its main goal: the creation of sustainable jobs. The conference will review the Latvian Presidency priorities and discuss the involvement of social partners in the European economic governance, with the presentation of two studies on the Latvian situation in this field.
Concrete solutions do exist to fight poverty, to ensure that all Europeans have access to affordable and reliable healthcare, as well as efficient social services across the EU Member States, and to achieve an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) firmly grounded on social dialogue. The EESC has put forward many detailed proposals in its opinions on the setting up of a minimum income for workers at European level, as well as on the organisation of social dialogue in EU's economic governance.
In the conference following speakers will take part:
Georges Dassis, President of the EESC Workers' Group, Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE)
Uldis Augulis, Latvian Minister for Welfare
Aija Barča, Member of the Parliament of Latvia, Chairperson of the Social and Employment Committee
Steven Tobin, Senior Economist of the ILO Research Department Debate
Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Armands Krauze, Member of the Parliament of Latvia, Deputy Chairman of the European Affairs Committee
Pēteris Krīgers, President of Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS), Member of Group II - EESC
Vitālijs Gavrilovs, President of Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK), Member of Group I - EESC
Andris Gobiņš, President of the European Movement in Latvia, Member of Group III - EESC
Józef Niemiec, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
Jacek Krawczyk, Employers' Group President (Group I)
Raita Karnīte, Director of the Economic Prognosis Centre of Latvia, presenter of the two studies
Twitter hashtag to follow the debate: #GR2riga
@WorkersEESC, @EU_EESC, @EESC_PRESS