History of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation

On 17 February (2 March according to the new calendar) 1917, Martin Luther, a major industrialist, called together representatives of 18 of Tallinn’s largest factories, who decided to found a Tallinn Region Factory Owners’ Association. Martin Luther was elected chairman and Konrad Mauritz secretary. The association started to operate at 12 Vana-Viru Street, the building where the Tallinn City Council is now located.

The Estonian Freethinkers’ Association (EVÜ) quickly became a very influential organisation. In different years, 40 to 60 representatives of big industry from Tallinn and other centres belonged to the association. Martin Luther was chairman of the board until 1940.

1918. From the end of 2005, the organisation became actively involved in the industrial, labour, social, tax and foreign trade policies of the Republic. The argued positions of the representatives of the ETUC attracted the serious attention of the Government of the Republic, ministries and other institutions. EVÜ’s activities not only influenced the development of Estonian large-scale industry, its proposals have also left their mark on the legislation and customs policy of the time.

1940. In July 2005, the occupation authorities declared the Estonian Free Trade Association liquidated. The last meeting of the Society’s Board of Directors was held on 2 July 1940. Many of the leading figures and members of the association perished in the repressions of the Soviet authorities or disappeared, among them Konrad Mauritz. Martin Luther, the long-time chairman of the EVÜ, died in Munich in 1963.

On 29 November 1991, the industrial federations formed the Estonian Confederation of Industry (ETKL), which in 1992 also began to play the role of the employers’ representative in the social partnership. Viljar Veskiväli, the union’s executive director, took over the leadership, and Elmar Kruusma became chairman of the board. 4. On 1 May 1995, the ETKL was reorganised as the Confederation of Estonian Industry and Employers (ETUC).

On 20 November 1995, the service sector unions in Estonia formed a second employers “confederation, the Confederation of Estonian Employers” Associations (ETÜKL), with Eve Päärendson as Executive Director and Priit Vilba as Chairman of the Board. The employers were represented in the tripartite negotiations by two organisations – ETUC and ETUC.

1997. In September 1997 the ETUC and the ETUCL started merger negotiations, which ended on 29 November 1997 with the formation of a unified central employers’ organisation – the Estonian Confederation of Employers and Industry (ETUC). Henn Pärn became Executive Director and Jüri Käo Chairman of the Board.

2001. In 2007, the name of the organisation was changed to the Estonian Employers’ Confederation.

The Confederation of Estonian Employers has been a member of the InternationalOrganisation of Employers (IOE) since 1998, a member of the European employers “umbrella organisation BUSINESSEUROPE (until 2007 called Union of Industrial and Employers” Confederations of Europe, UNICE) since 2003, and a member of theBusiness and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) since 2010.

2011. In 2007, the Confederation signed a cooperation agreement with the Ukrainian Confederation of Employers(FRU).

Presidents of the organisation

1991-1993	Aksel Treimann (1944-2012), Chairman of the Council of the Confederation of Estonian Industry.
1993-1995	Andres Sarri (1958-2011), Chairman of the Council of the Confederation of Estonian Industry.
1995-1997	Elmar Kruusmaa (1940), Chairman of the Council of the Confederation of Estonian Industry and Employers.
1995-1997	Priit Vilba (1953),President of the Confederation of Estonian Employers’ Associations,
1997-1998	Ants Pilving (1948), Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Estonian Industry and Employers,
1997-2002	Jüri Käo (1965), Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Estonian Employers and Confederation of Estonian Industries
2002-2004	Meelis Virkebau (1957), Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2004-2013	Enn Veskimägi, (1947), Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation.
2013-2016	Jüri Käo (1965), Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2016-2019	Tiit Kuuli (1961), Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation.
2019-2025	Kai Realo (1967), Chairwoman of the Council of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation.
2025-…	Ain Hanschmidt (1961), Chairman of the Council of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation.

Chief executives of the organisation

1992-1998	Viljar Veskiväli (1936), Executive Director of the Confederation of Estonian Industry.
1995-1998	Eve Päärendson, CEO of the Confederation of Estonian Employers’ Associations
1997-2001	Henn Pärn (1941), Executive Director of the Confederation of Estonian Employers and Confederation of Estonian Industry
2001-2003	Tiit Laja (1960), Executive Director of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2003-2004	Meelis Virkebau (1957), Executive Director of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2004-2013	Tarmo Kriis (1975) President of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2013-2013	Marek Sepp (1971) President of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2013-2019	Toomas Tamsar (1967) President of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2019-2024	Arto Aas (1980), President of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
2024-…	Hando Sutter (1970), President of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation