Gerd Kristiansen

Gerd Kristiansen in 2009. Photo: Jarle Vines.

Gerd Kristiansen (born August 1, 1955 in Harstad) is a Norwegian licensed practical nurse and has been the leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions since May 6, 2013.[1]

Career

Gerd Kristiansen was born in the village of Fauskevåg in Harstad municipality and grew up on a farm. At the age of 17 she became a single mother. She took some courses in economics but also worked as a fisher in the North Sea and the Barents Sea. In the early 1980s she worked on a fishing boat that shipwrecked outside Kiberg, but all on board survived.[2][3] After studying in Tromsø, she became a licensed practical nurse. She then worked at Åsgard, a psychiatric hospital,[4] which today is part of the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø. Early in her career she became involved in trade union work, and held several elected positions. She was the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Union's main representative for members employed in the county of Troms for ten years.[5]

Kristiansen was elected deputy leader of the Norwegian Association of Health and Social Care Personnel in 2002. The organization was merged into Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees in 2003 and Kristiansen then became part of the leadership in that organization. She was elected deputy leader of Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees in 2005.[6]

At the Confederation of Trade Union's congress in 2009, Gerd Kristiansen was elected deputy leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, with Roar Flåthen as president of the organization. Her candidature was backed and promoted by the Union of Municipal and General Employees, but it came as a surprise to many other delegates at the Confederation congress, as they believed that Rita Lekang, who already was in the Confederation's leadership, would have been their candidate.[7]

Before and during the Confederation of Trade Union's congress in May 2013 there was a contest between Gerd Kristiansen and the other deputy leader Tor-Arne Solbakken for the leadership position of the organization after Roar Flåthen retired due to age. Both candidates had backgrounds in the public sector, and there were no known major political differences between them.[8] On 5 May, Kristiansen made it clear to the election committee that she would only accept the leadership position and would not consider continuing as deputy leader. At the same time her branch of the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees stated that they would not propose any other candidates for any leadership positions in the confederation. This meant that if Kristiansen was not elected leader, the confederation's largest branch, which has about one-third of all the confederation's members, would not have been represented in the leadership at all. The other candidate, Solbakken, withdrew his candidature the same day, and the election committee unanimously nominated Gerd Kristiansen for the leadership position. She was subsequently elected new leader with acclamation on 6 May. Solbakken was elected deputy leader.[9]

She is the second female leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions after Gerd-Liv Valla.[10]

Positions and priorities

Gerd Kristiansen is in favour of Norway's current European Economic Area agreement with the European Union. She supports making a consequence report about oil drilling in the sea outside Lofoten and Vesterålen;[8][11] such a report may be the first step in opening the area up for drilling.

Kristiansen has stated that one of the union's priorities is to get a culture for full-time work instead of part-time work in women-dominated workplaces.[4] On 30 May 2013, she criticized women for using the mother role as an excuse for not working full-time. She was strongly criticized for the statement by the Christian Democratic Party and the Progress Party and prime minister Jens Stoltenberg distanced himself from the statement as well.[12]

Other priorities include a focus on full employment, fight against social dumping and a change in the organizational structure of the Confederation of Trade Unions.[4][11]

Influence

The magazine Kapital named Kristiansen Norway's second most powerful woman in 2013.[13]

Personal life

Gerd Kristiansen is in her second marriage. She has two children of her own and the couple together has five children.[4] She has a home in Harstad and an apartment in Grünerløkka, Oslo. The couple also own a holiday farm near Faro in Portugal.[14][15]

Kristiansen's lifestyle attracted some media attention after a Verdens Gang interview shortly after she was elected leader of the Worker's Union portrayed her as a heavy smoker and quoted her saying that modern workout was close to hysteria.[16] In July 2013, VG reported that she had quit smoking.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Marie Melgård, Gunnar Kagge (6 May 2013): Jeg er veldig direkte, noen ganger kanskje for direkte, sier Gerd Kristiansen (Norwegian) Aftenposten, retrieved 6 May 2013
  2. ↑ Gunnar Hultgreen(12 December 2013):Gerd kan bli Norges mektigste kvinne Dagbladet, retrieved 10 May 2013
  3. ↑ Nina Berglund (7 May 2013): New labour boss makes history News in English, retrieved 10 May 2013
  4. 1 2 3 4 Torgny Halsås (6 April 2013) Hjelpepleieren fra nord (Norwegian)Fri Fagbevegelse, retrieved 6 May 2013
  5. ↑ NTB (6 May 2013): Hjelpepleier Gerd fra Troms er ny LO-leder (Norwegian) Nordlys, 6 May 2013
  6. ↑ Torgny Hasås (26 April 2013): Drivende kvinnfolk er blitt ny LO-leder (Norwegian) Fri Fagbevegelse, retrieved 11 May 2013
  7. ↑ Bjørg Aftret (29 November 2009): Den røde edderkoppen (Norwegian) Dagbladet, 20 November 2009
  8. 1 2 Ole Storeng (3 May 2013): Lederskifte gir ingen revolusjon (Norwegian) Aftenposten, 6 April 2013
  9. ↑ Bjørn S. Kristiansen and Kirsten Karlsen (6 May 2013): Skulle bare mangle at ikke LOs største forbund stiller krav (Norwegian) Dagbladet,
  10. ↑ Gerd (57) klappet inn som LO-leder (Norwegian) TV2, retrieved 6 May 2013
  11. 1 2 Bjørn S. Kristiansen and Kirsten Karlsen (3 May 2013): Usikker på om jeg vil utsette LO for en kampvotering om ledervervet (Norwegian) Dagbladet, 6 May 2013
  12. ↑ Vilde Helljesen (30 May 2013): Stoltenberg uenig med LO-lederen (Norwegian) NRK, retrieved 12 June 2013
  13. ↑ Fakta om Norges mektigste kvinner (Norwegian) Nordlys, retrieved 12 June 2013
  14. ↑ Gerd Kristiansen valgt til LO-leder (Norwegian) LO (homesite), 6 May 2013, retrieved 13 August 2013
  15. 1 2 Bjørn Haugan (21 July 2013): LO-lederen har stumpet røyken (Norwegian) Verdens Gang, retrieved 13 July 2013
  16. ↑ Bjørn Haugan (7 May 2013): Gerd Kristiansen er ny LO-sjef: - Trening er hysteri (Norwegian) Verdens Gang, retrieved 13 July 2013

External links

Business positions
Preceded by
Roar Flåthen		 Leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
2013–present 		Incumbent
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