Maria Gaetana Agnesi

The Democratic French Confédération of Work (CFDT) is an interprofessional confederation of French wage earners associations, the first in term of members (more than 800.000), the second by his electoral audience.

It belongs to the five confederations of wage earners associations regarded as representative by the State, pursuant to the decree of the March 30th 1966.

CFDT is member of the international Trade-union confederation (CSI).

History

After the Release, a minority of left animates the internal debate within the French Confédération of the Christian workers (CFTC). Gathered in the tendency “rebuilding”, it wishes to distend the bonds with the clergy and to laicize the power station. Under the control of Eugene Descamps it becomes majority and in 1964, at the time of an extraordinary congress in the majority, CFTC becomes CFDT - it is the “deconfessionalisation”. Ten percent of manpower however choose to recreate CFTC.

CFDT states from now on to place its action within the framework of the Class struggle. CFDT approaches to socialism and in particular the Socialist party unified (PSU) carried out by Michel Rocard. From 1966 with 1970, it also makes from the agreements of action with the CGT.

In May 1968, CFDT calls with the action in the companies. This will be at the origin of the creation of the local unions of companies.

With the congress of 1970, CFDT adopts new statutes. She preaches the Autogestion companies.

In 1971, Edmond Maire is elected general secretary. Many militants cedetists take part in “Sitted of socialism” (1974) and join on this occasion the Socialist party (PS) of François Mitterrand. They animate there Christian minority the “of left” whose Michel Rocard is the leader.

However, rupture of the Union of the left (1977) and the failure of this one with the legislative elections of 1978 conduit the power station of Edmond Mayor to a change of strategy. It moves away from CGT and undertakes a movement of “resyndicalisation” (or of “centring”) which in particular consists in taking distance vis-a-vis the political parties. It invites for the last time to vote socialist with presidential of 1981. If it supports the “turning of the rigor” of 1983, it will be defined then by its autonomy, not hesitating to support reforms carried out by right governments when they appear to him justified. An important minority disputes this centring.

With the congress of Strasbourg, which is held of the 21 with the November 26th 1988, Jean Kaspar is elected general secretary. The federation South-postal and telecommunications authorities is born from a process of exclusions of militants minority trotskists, opposed to the line “reformist”, within the federation of the postal and telecommunications authorities to the autumn 1988.

In 1992, Nicole Notat is elected general secretary. She is the first woman to occupy such a station in a Trade-union confederation of paid in France.

At the time of the strikes of December 1995, it supports the reform project of the Social security of the Prime Minister RPR Alain Juppe. Become the privileged interlocutor of the employers and the governments, CFDT assumes the chairmanship of the National bank of Health insurance of the employed Persons (CNAM) and of the UNEDIC. These choices of national management, in rupture compared to the positions of CFDT in the years 1970, are disputed by a minority which will be put in failure at the Congress of Lille in 1998.

In 2002, Francois Chereque, former general secretary of the CFDT federation Health-social, is elected general secretary. It was renewed in its functions at the time of the congress of Grenoble of the 12 to the June 16th 2006.

In 2003, in the name of “reformism”, CFDT negotiates at the sides of the other power stations the reform of the retirements of 2003 which will be installation by the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin. But the trade-union unit does not hold, and the power station is alone, with CFE-CGC, to support a reform project disputed by the other organizations which regard this reform as a social regression.

This standpoint had internal consequences for the CFDT which lost at least 10% of its members in 3 years. According to CFDT itself, manpower passed from 889.000 at the end of 2002 to 807.000 at the end of 2005. This fall of manpower is made up of nonréadhésion individual but also of departures of several trade unions. The April 13rd 2005, on its Internet site, CFDT recognized the loss of 71  124 members for the years 2003 and 2004, which would bring back its manpower of 889.160 at the end of 2002 to 818.036 at the end of 2004 (this loss partly was mitigated by the arrival of more than 40.000 members this same year).

In March 2003, in order to develop its presence on the universities, CFDT decides to support the creation of a Syndicat studying resulting from a tendency of UNEF: the Confederation coed. In order to help with its development, the two organizations join what ensures the Cé an important financial support and logistic. This partnership makes it possible CFDT to inform the paid students their rights at the time of action on the estival working areas or the campuses.

Following the rejection of the European constitutional treaty, the CFDT, which had invited to vote " oui" , takes part in the creation of the movement " Let us save Europe " and adheres to it as an organization member.

According to a survey " Ifop-west Dimanche" France; of April 23rd, 2006, CFDT is the confederation to which the French make more confidence (61% compared with 51% for the average of the trade unions). However, it arrives regularly in second position behind CGT at the time of the professional elections. It collects approximately 25% of the voices.

In 2006, CFDT denounces the CPE and joined the other trade unions within the inter-union ones and of the demonstrations in order to require the withdrawal of the Contrat first engages (CPE).

At the time of the Congress of Grenoble)

  • Federation of the banks and finance companies
  • chemistry Federation and energy (FCE-CFDT)
  • communication Federation, council, culture (F3C)
  • National federation construction wood (FNCB)
  • Federation of the general trade unions of State education (Sgen-CFDT)
  • Federation of the establishments and arsenals of State (FEAE)
  • Federation of finances and economic affairs
  • private formation Federation and teaching (FEP-CFDT)
  • Interco Federation (Interior and communities) (Interco CFDT)
  • general Federation metallurgy and mines (FGMM)
  • social protection Federation, work, employment (PSTE)
  • Federation of the services
  • Federation of the departments of health and social services
  • general Federation of transport and equipment (FGTE)

Confederal unions

  • CFDT Frameworks

  • confederal Union of reprocessed (UCR) the
  • Union of the federations of the public office and comparable (UFFA)

Persons in charge

Since 1973, CFDT has its head only one general secretary, without president.

Presidents

  • Jules Zirnheld: 1919-1940

  • Georges Torcq: 1946-1948
  • Gaston Tessier: 1948-1953
  • Maurice Bouladoux: 1953-1961
  • Georges Levard: 1961-1967
  • Andre Jeanson: 1967-1970
  • Laurent Lucas: 1971-1973

General secretaries

Members

In 2006, one the third of manpower of CFDT has more than 50 years

See too

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