Michel Rondet

Michel Rondet is a Syndicaliste French born the August 17th 1841 with Valbenoîte (divided today between Saint-Etienne and Ricamarie) and died the September 21st 1908 with Pont of the Enclosure, towards Yssingeaux (Haute-Loire).

A militant trade unionist and republican

He was born with the locality the Mine, then located in the vast commune of Valbenoîte but as of 1843, Ricamarie is detached some to constitute a commune. Resulting from a family of minor, it marries, the May 28th 1862, with Ricamarie, Francine Peyron (Valbenoîte, April 10th 1841 - Saint-Etienne, June 30th 1890), reeling machine, alive in his/her parents with the locality the Flaring. Five their children are born with Ricamarie where it is minor until in 1868. If it makes baptize his the first three children, it takes its distances with the church in front of the collusion of the clergy with the company of the Mines. It is one of the founders of Fraternal (1866), provident society of the miners, of which he becomes vice-president at 25 years. The company of Montrambert seizes the first pretext to lay off it in January 1868. It must find a means of existence and becomes grocer with Ricamarie.

At the time of the legislative elections of 1869, it supports Bertholon, republican candidate against Charpin-Feugerolles, which obtained the support of the Fraternal one. Present at the time of the shooting of the Flaring (June 16th 1869), he is denounced like person in charge of slaughter, is condemned to 7 months then grâcié. Called as police inspector in Saint-Etienne by the mayor Pierre Boudarel the September 20th 1870, it is sent the March 24th 1871 to the club of the Virgin by the mayor to calm the partisans of the Commune. It does not take part in the events of the 25 but nevertheless is imprisoned like communard (May) then released to nourish his family (July) before being condemned, by the court of Riom, at 5 years of prison the December 5th 1871. It carries out its sorrow with Landerneau (1872-1877) but is transferred a time to Holy-Menehould to have taken part in a Mutinerie: it matures its political designs there.

A national figure

It succeeds in finding a place of minor in the Company of Beaubrun (1877 - 1881) but it is returned once again for union action. He is delegated by the trade union of the minors to the socialist congress of Saint-Etienne (1881) and is pointed out there: for him, the trade-union organization must precede the advent by a socialist company. He is elected general secretary of the trade union of the minors of the Loire on December 23rd, 1881 and sees himself granting wages of 150 francs: permanent, it will be essential like the treasurer and the organizer, in a word, the essential man. Its action is extended to the national plan with the corporative Congress of the minors (October 1883) which sees the birth of the National federation of the Minors of which it will be the federal secretary during 13 years (1883 - 1896). Pragmatic, it defends a policy which aims at concretely improving the situation of the minors and hardly enthusiasm for the Great evening or the General strike shows.

At the time of the legislative elections of 1889, it supports the candidature of the mayor of Saint-Etienne, Emile Girodet, against the revolutionary Socialists and, in reprisals, the most advanced trade unionists succeed with the évincer of the trade union of the minors of the Loire. Disputed at his place, there remains appreciated outside: it takes an active part in the Congress of Lens (1895) which decides to push back the project of general strike and with various international congresses (Paris 1891, Brussels 1893, Berlin 1894). It inspired various laws: on the minor delegates voted in 1890, on the employment of the children in the mines in 1892 and on and the retirement relief funds in 1894. It meets in particular Jules Grévy and Casimir-Perier in 1893.

It occupies various local political offices: to advise district (1883-1889), city council man of Saint-Etienne under Girodet, director of the Savings bank. Its notoriety of national scale caused many jealousies against the pontiff scornful of the minors : having received a honourable mention like rescuer after the catastrophe of the well Chatelus (March 1st 1887), some protest and Rondet returns its diploma to the Préfet requiring that one make gift with the indicters of it. The revolutionary Socialists reproach this socialist republican for being moderated too much, to refuse the Collectivisme.

Its last years are difficult: it loses his wife in 1890, its children and most of its resources. It is buried in large pumps the September 23rd 1908 with the cemetery of Crêt de Roc of Saint-Etienne. A place with a bronze statue realized by Joseph Lamberton with Ricamarie and a street of Saint-Etienne perpetuate its name.

Source

Claude Cherrier, Michel Rondet. Biography , Saint-Etienne 1993.

Random links: