General confederation of work - Working force

Working force ( FO ) is a French trade-union confederation, created in 1947. She is the third in importance, behind the CGT and the CFDT. Working force is the usual name of General confederation of Work - Working force (CGT-FO) , which testifies to its origins. FO is member of the international Trade-union confederation (CSI).

History

FO is the heir to the branch reformist of CGT, trade union which was, as of its creation in 1895, pulled about between a tendency reformist and a revolutionary tendency then communist. The latter, minority until the Release, made scission in 1921 (creation of CGTU) before reinforcing its positions within CGT reunified at the time of the Popular front, but the failure of the strikes of 1938 against Daladier weakens the communist wing of CGT, finally excluded in 1939 at the time from the signature from the Pacte germano-Soviet. After the second world war, it is the tendency reformist which is found in minority and fact scission in 1947.

Origins in CGT

The War of 1914-1918 watch first divergences: CGT is divided between a majority (for of which direction) rejoined with the Sacred union and the effort of war, and a minority, Pacifiste, denouncing the war and underlining the need for maintaining the activity claiming.

1921 : scission between CGT and the CGT-U ( U like unit ), which gathers at the beginning the elements (various) of hostile CGT to the War and recognizing itself from the open revolutionary point of view in Russia. The CGTU becomes the trade-union instrument of the Communist party. CGT becomes again the majority power station, while the CGTU is marginalized.

1936 : in March, reunification of CGT but division remains however makes between the confederated of it and the unit , resulting from ex CGTU.

1939 : exclusion of the leaders of CGT refusing to condemn the Pact germano-Soviet.

1943 : the agreements of Perreux reunify CGT.

Birth of Working force

In 1945, the report/ratio of the forces is definitely favorable to the unit ex- ; they control 21 federations out of 30.

The ex- confederated are gathered around the clandestine newspaper Working Résistance , created in 1943, and around Leon Jouhaux, sunken of deportation the May 8th, 1945. The newspaper Working Résistance becomes Working force .

Initially, and during more than one year, the prospect for the confederated consists in obtaining what they call the rectification interns of CGT, on the principles of the CGT old woman; it is thus not question of a scission.

The crenel of the confederated is that of the trade-union independence ; independence particularly with respect to PCF, and of the government because PCF has ministers with the government. The trade unions controlled by PCF are strongly encouraged to support the national production. It is the time when Maurice Thorez, the chief of PCF, declares: the Strike, it is the weapon of the trusts.

In September 1945, at the time of the first national confederal committee (CCN) since the Release, the unit ex- obtain the majority at the Confederal office and indicate Benoît Frachon second general secretary. Some ex- confederated there see a policy of takeover by the communist apparatus and refuse the smothering of the claims.

In August 1946 a scission occurs in the Fédération of the postal and telecommunications authorities. In September, fascinating act of the failure of the tactic known as of the rectification interns , the confederated set up the friendly groups of of Working force , starts of an trade-union organization parallel in CGT.

In May 1947, following the conflict of Renault, the communist ministers are excluded from the government. In September, Moscow condemns the Marshall plan and requires of all the PC that they follow this judgment and break with the governments in place. CGT lines up at the time of these conflicts on the side of PCF.

The consecutive tension with these events precipitates the scission, which occurs at the time of the second national conference of the FO groups the 18 and December 19th 1947. December 19th, Leon Jouhaux and four confederal secretaries leave CGT.

The constitutive Congress takes place the April 12th 1948. FO becomes one in parallel mainstays of the international Confédération of the free trade unions (CISL), scission of the world Trade union federation rejettant the communist influence.

FO asserts the principle of trade-union independence. This independence is worth with regard to the political parties, of the governments, the State, employers and the churches. In the facts, FO gathered all those which were opposed to the Communists. For a long time the power station was dominated by the Socialiste S but it accommodated also militants Trotskyste S, in particular close to the OCI or Workers' struggle (Arlette Laguiller) and even of the gaullists. Currently, the tendency trotskyste of FO is increasingly influential.

In the improvisation of the first months, FO receives the international assistance of Belgian, Swiss trade unions and of the American AFL (from where the legend of the funds of the CIA). The Ministry of Labor also pays the subsidies, taken on the funds of the ex Charte of work (extorted from the workers by the government of Pétain).

The development of FO

During its creation, in 1947, Leon Jouhaux and Robert Bothereau did not succeed in attracting the majority of the trade union. The new organization is represented particularly little in the private sector.

The second time of FO is marked by the long mandate of André Bergeron, which sets up in practice constant the contractual negotiation, marking a great distrust towards CGT. Although member of the Socialist party, André Bergeron maintains the cordial relationship with the governments gaullists. Privileged interlocutor of the executive power and the employers, FO plays a moderating part during the crisis of May 68. She is opposed to the Communists as with the project of Autogestion carried by the CFDT. She also shows skeptic compared to the Union of the left and with her common Programme .

Concerning independence with regard to the policy, it is clear that there was a danger which watched for FO as of its birth, namely its dependence with regard to socialist party (SFIO). It could have been done indeed that at the end of the Forties and the Fifties, FO fall under the cut from the SFIO, as CGT was under the cut of PCF, i.e. of Moscow, and CFTC under the cut of the MRP, i.e. of the Vatican. Even if there were ambiguities and inevitable compromisings, that were not carried out. The tradition of the Charter of Amiens and the CGT old woman counted enormously in the spirit of the militants who founded FO.

Two other factors counted. Initially the gaullism, which, installed with the capacity, destroyed the SFIO. Then the Socialist congress of Epinay, in 1971, which put an end to the SFIO, founded the " PS" , and brought to the direction of the PS " modernisé" a certain number of militants sharing the values of CFTC rather, become CFDT in 1964.

At the end of the Sixties and the Seventies FO give several opinions which want to be demonstrations of its independence and its originality in the " paysage" trade-union French and European.

In 1969 FO invites to vote " non" with the referendum suggested by de Gaulle. This referendum had a double objective: the implementation of regionalization and the creation of a Senate supporter of corporatism, associating in the same Room the representatives of the " interests économiques" , i.e. employers and trade unions. FO makes the bringing together with the " Charter of Travail" mode of Vichy.

In 1972 FO refuses to enter, as CGT and CFDT do it, within the framework of the Union of the Left, sealed around the famous " Program commun". The confederation considers that this association made depend the trade union on political considerations.

In 1984, the teaching with FO, hitherto almost non-existent trade unionism since 1948, develops after the passage of militants come from trade unions of FEN which belong in particular to tendency EE-FUO, considered near to the left the workers, and of which most known is Jean-Jacques Marie.

When Bergeron is withdrawn in 1989, its dolphin Claude Pitous is beaten by Marc Blondel which becomes the new general secretary.

Blondel engages FO on a more combative way, marked in particular by the conflict of 1995 against the Plan Juppe and a symbolic system handshake with Louis Viannet, general secretary of CGT.

In the beginning, in the trade-union plan, creation of many structures of collective social protection (UNEDIC - Supplementary pensions in particular), Working force, always considered that the contractual practice was an important tool to build and develop collective rights on all the levels (interprofessional - branches of activity - companies). In this direction, she always asserts to have fought the State whole like the gone whole.

Its objective is to defend the public service and the social security like structures ensuring of the rights equal to the citizens in coherence with the republican values (freedom, equality, fraternity, secularity). That explains the combat carried out in 1995 against the nationalization of the social security or the conflicts with employers on the social recasting, which was regarded as the delivery at the market of all the collective and interdependent structures.

FO loses, following this conflict, the presidency of the National bank of health insurance (CNAM), after to have already lost that of the UNEDIC, which CFDT inherits. In 1998, a certain number of militants of Working force, in dissension with the radical line followed by the confederation, decide to join the UNSA under control, in particular, of Jacques Mairé and Jean Grosset, respectively general secretary and assistant general secretary of the departmental union of Paris.

FO engages in 2003 against the law Fillon on the retirements and calls of them with the general grêve , strike ignored by the government and the media of mass.

In February 2004, Jean-Claude Mailly, succeeds Marc Blondel with the head of the trade union.

Structure

Working force asserts 15.000 trade-union establishments distributed on all territory (metropolis and DOM-TOM with 103 Departmental unions), in all the branches of industry with 33 National federations and gathered within the Confederation Working force.

Working force does not communicate the detail of its number of members.

In the European and world plan, Working force is member of the European Confédération of the Trade unions (THESE) and the international Trade-union confederation (CSI). FO takes part in work of the advisory trade-union Committee near OECD (TUAC). It is also implied in the “Activities for the workers” of the International organization of work to Geneva.

President

Leon Jouhaux: 1947-1954

Secretary-general

Robert Bothereau: 1948-1963
Andre Bergeron: 1963-1989
Marc Blondel: 1989-2004
Jean-Claude Mailly: since February 2004

Famous members

Marc Blondel | Andre Bergeron | Projecting Louis | Arlette Laguiller | Camille Mourguès

See too

External bond

official Internet site of Working force

Random links: