The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-01-01
New French Union
Claims One Million

Paris (LPA) - Leon Jouhaux,
leader Of the new trade union fed
Grafton, the General Confederation
of Labor-Workers Strength (CGT-
FO) in a Christmas eve interview
asserted that the group already
has the support of at least one
million workers. His count includ-
ed those who have just left the old
CGT, now Communist dominated,
as a result of the decisions of the
conference recently held by the
Workers Strength group, and those
who had previously left the CGT
because of their distrust Of Com
munist leaders.
The veteran trade union chief
tain, whose general secretaryship
Of the CGT began before World
War |, added that when in January
unionists take out their annual
dues cards the membership of the
CGT-FO will increase sharply. Dis
cussions are being held with the
Federation of Autonomous Unions
which has claimed 100000 mem :
bers, for its formal absorption by
the CGT-FO, it is reported, and
there is talk of either organic unity
or extremely close cooperation with
the Catholic unions (CFTC) which
number 100000 adherents, and a
small Independent left-wing group
known as the CNT.
On the basis of the January 1916
registration Of union members the
old CGT has claimed nearly six
million members. Even prior to the
recent strikes, however, it had been
estimated that the effective
strength of the CGT had declined
to about three million. Approx
mately one million of these are pre-
sumed now to be in support of the
new CGT-FO, which if it can con-
solidate the support of all the
groups believed to be friendly to
it will about equal in strength to
the new completely Communicated
CGT.
Jouhaux and several other Of the
leading non-Communist figures in
the CGT had opposed the break
ing away of their supporters from
the traditional center of French
unionism in the early sessions of
the Workers Strength meeting, but
rank and file sentiment insisted
upon a complete break with the
Communist leadership of the or
ganization. The new CGT-FO is
founded upon the doctrine of trade
union independence from political
control. Success in its campaign
to destroy the position of the Com
munist-led CGT will depend in
large measure upon the economic
program of the liberal Catholic and
Socialist Schuman government,
union leaders believe. The govern
ment must enact and enforce a
program that will reverse the dis
astroUs tendency in wage-price re-
lationslips that has persisted in
France since the liberation. At
the moment the first proposals of
the governments taxation and con-
troll program are under heavy at
tack from both the Communist and
the Rightists in the Assembly.
When asked how the Communists
had been able to take over control
of the CGT, Jouhaux replied that
the principal factor was "the gen
eraD anathy of the French workers
who did not care to attend union
meetings" and the failure of the
anti-Communist leaders to pay
proper attention to "the shop COM
the basic units of any la
ber movement. The Communists Of
ten got control OF these commit
,es and used them for political
1t has frequently
been said that in certain unions
lotably the dock workers in Mar
seilles-a worker had 70 hold
Communist Party card if he want
ed t. work"
As rule, however, JouhauX add
ed "they were more subtle than to
require Communist party cards to
work. They gained control of the
factory workers unions by simply
a Communist atmosphere"