Robert Bothereau

Robert Bothereau (Baule, Loiret, 1901 - Orleans, Loiret, 1985) is a Syndicaliste and resistant French.

beginnings

Wire of a craftsman wet cooper, Robert Bothereau was born with Baule (Loiret), on February 22nd 1901. Fitter mechanic of profession, it works initially in the common neighbor of Meung-sur-Loire, where it adheres since 1919 to the Trade union confederated Metals CGT. He is then engaged with the car fleet of military establishments of Orleans. With less than thirty years, he is elected Secrétaire of the Labor market of Orleans, then of the Departmental union of Loiret. Its baited work, its personal qualities, in particular of organizer, enable him to develop the Departmental union quickly and point out it Leon Jouhaux and Confederal office which it integrates in 1933.

Its trade-union and republican engagements and its direction of the organization enable him to take a national stature. Initially, in 1939, with Leon Jouhaux, it invites CGT to denounce the Pacte Germano-Soviet (what will cause the second scission of the Confederation, since the Communist leaders refuse there and will consequently be excluded).

the war

During the Occupation, Bothereau denounces the Charte of Work imposed by Pétain (1940); it reconstitutes in clandestinity a structure of the dissolved CGT by the mode of Vichy; it creates a network of Résistance in its area of origin of Beaugency (what is worth the Légion of honor and the to him Médaille of Resistance). With the entry of the Communists in Resistance in 1941, a bringing together of the two tendencies of CGT is again possible: in 1943 Bothereau is at the origin with Louis Saillant of the Accords of Perreux and creates the clandestine newspaper " Resistance ouvrière" who wants to be unit then: “We can have divergences of doctrines, method and ideal with other comrades. We respect all the opinions (...) One will not create the French Unit without the working Unit. ” the generosity of this proclamation however runs up quickly against reality, the shortly after war, day in day more obvious, the strategy of coring of all the wheels of the trade-union apparatus by the Stalinist apparatus.

Working force

In September 1944, Bothereau is member of the Confederal office of CGT reunified, but savage defender of the Charte of Amiens and against the seizure of PCF on the CGT which it had contributed to reunify, it gathers the tendencies not-Communists in 1945 around his newspaper " Resistance ouvrière" - that it renames " Force ouvrière" - and in 1946 in the group of the Friends of Working force.

In December 1947, it leaves CGT with Jouhaux and three other members of the office, to create a free and independent trade-union confederation, restoring at the same time the spirit of old CGT and the tradition of the independent trade unionism. With the congress constitutive of CGT-FO, in April 1948, he becomes the first General secretary of the new confederation.

In November 1963, it voluntarily leaves its station, organizes its succession - André Bergeron succeeds to him - and takes care not to take party in the internal life of the new direction of the confederation.

Robert Bothereau then has to occupy several important functions: general adviser of the Banque de France (1963 to 1973), adviser of State in extraordinary service (1964 to 1967). For this reason, it represents France near the International organization of Work.

During years 1970, Robert Bothereau is withdrawn in Beaugency. He dies in Orleans on May 31st 1985.

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