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General Confederation of Labour–Workers’ Force
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Quick Facts
French:
ConfĂ©dĂ©ration GĂ©nĂ©rale du Travail–Force OuvriĂšre (CGT–FO)
Date:
1948 - present
Areas Of Involvement:
Socialism
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General Confederation of Labour–Workers’ Force

French labor union
Also known as: CGT–FO, ConfĂ©dĂ©ration GĂ©nĂ©rale du Travail–Force OuvriĂšre(Show More)
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History

General Confederation of Labour–Workers’ Force, French labour-union federation that is most influential among white-collar civil servants and clerical workers. It was formed in 1948 after a split within the General Confederation of Labour (ConfĂ©dĂ©ration GĂ©nĂ©rale du Travail, or CGT). In 1947 the socialist minority withdrew from the CGT after communists had gained control of the federation’s leadership apparatus. The socialists’ departure was triggered by the CGT’s communist-inspired policy of fomenting violent strikes that seemed intended to destabilize the new government of the Fourth Republic. The departing socialists formed a new confederation, the CGT–FO, under the leadership of LĂ©on Jouhaux, who had been secretary-general of the CGT from 1909 to 1946.

In the decades since its founding, the CGT–FO has remained smaller than the CGT and has mainly represented salaried workers and those in the public-service sector. The CGT–FO is socialist in outlook but is not officially connected with the French Socialist Party. It is a member of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, which Jouhaux helped to found.