Helena André

Helena André (born, 29 October 1960, Paço de Arcos, Portugal

Early career Between 1981 and 1991, André worked for the General Workers Union (União Geral de Trabalhadores – UGT), first as an assistant in the International Affairs Department and then as head of that department, with responsibility for coordinating the European and International Relations of the UGT. From 1985-1991 she was also a member of the Paço de Arcos parish council. In January 1992, she joined the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), based in Brussels. She covered a wide range of issues, including labour market policy; vocational education and training; regional policy and interregional trade union committees; social exclusion; racism and xenophobia; and youth policies. Between 2003 and 2009 she was deputy general secretary of ETUC. In this time she was also Coordinator of the Workers' Group in the Bureau and Management Board of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) and a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Research on Employment at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland.

Political activities A member of the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), André was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Security in the 18th Constitutional Government (2009 - 2011). Between June 2011 and August 2013 she represented Aveiro as a member of the Assembly of the Republic, the Portuguese parliament, where she was a member of four Parliamentary committees, including European Affairs, and Social Security and Labour.

Awards and honours On 11 March 2000, Helena André was made Commander of the Portuguese Order of Merit.