The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-01-15
DeGAULLE AGAINST
FREE TRADE UNIONS

mining ana factory city, st. Etlen-
re, long a center of militant trade
-ionism, General Charles De Gaul-
We last week asked Frenchmen to
reject trade unionism. Unions of
workers should be replaced by as
sociations in every trade, combin-
ing employers, technical and cleri-
cal employees and wage workers in
the same organizations. In castigat-
ing trade unions, which he says
must be "cleansed of politics De
Gaulle did not limit his remarks
to the Communicated CGT, but at
tackled all unions, including the new
Workers Strength organization led
by Leon Jouhaux ard the Catholic
unions.
De Gaulle attributed The SLOW
ness of French recovery to "oppo-
sition between the different groups
Of producers" and said that this
can only be remedied if all persons
within each industry are organized
in producers associations" Dis
putes between labor and manage
ment would be settled by compul-
sorry arbitration. Rates of wages
and profits should lie determined
according to hierarchy" Thus, by
reducing the workers to the level
of members of a lower caste, De
Gaulle would abolish exploitation
and the struggle between the
classes" This system of "associa-
ton" should be extended to all of
Europe, said its .rophet.
While the government of Pre-
mier Robert Schun.an was fighting
HSOr its life against a coalition Of
Je Gaulle's rightisUs ard the Com
Smunists who are seeking to defeat
its taxation and initiation control
program, the General demanded
severe taxation Of those who have
thus far escaped" and severe meas
ures against tbs Communis; Party.
But his supporters in the Nation
al Assembly continued - VOC with
the Communists against the gov
ernment's program fo. equitable
taxation.
Failure of De Gaulle's support
ers to back the governments pro-
gram has occasioned more COM
ment than his plan for the corpor-
ate state. Most commentators have
dismissed it as untimely and smack
ing of fascism. Under De Gaulle's
plan the industry associations
would be represented in the Coun-
ell of the Republic-the reformed
Senate. Even conservative papers
have reminded their readers that
this Mussolini plan is still in eff
feet in Spain and Portugal, where
it serves as a cloak for the dicta
torship of the single party state.
In a dingy building on Rue Mad
emoiselle, leaders of the new fed
Grafton, oWrkers Strength (CGT-
FO) are issuing bundles of mem
bershsp forms to leaders of nation
al and local union groups. Every
January, French unionists formally
re-register in their organizations.
AThis year they will choose between
ne Communist-captured CGT and
the CGT-FO, to which most of the
independent groupings are rallying,
along with CGTers tired of Com
munist leadership.
Sections of each of the CGT's 80
national unions have already an
nounced their adherence to the new
federation. 1t has about so local
affiliates in the Party area aloEe,
The CGT shop and office workers
union has come over as a body. as
have the national tobacco workers
union and several sections of the
civil servants union. A complete
merger has been effected with the
Federation cf Autonomous Unions
made up of groups whicn broke
with the CGT before the recent
strike wave and who,c strength
has been among railway and postal
workers.
CGT-FO rhieftain Leon Jouhaux,
a member Of the executive bureau
of the World Federation of Trade
Unions by virtue of his former po-
sition as jJint general secretary IF
the old CGT, has announced that he
has no intention of giving up his
place in WFTU at ibis time. His
future there lie said, depeAds upon
the attitudes that the CGT FO and
the WFTU adopt toward each
other.
LII CIVIL R...rc. Doot1,r Gonfor