General Labour Confederation of Belgium

The General Labour Confederation of Belgium (Dutch: Belgisch Vakverbond, BVV; French: Confédération Générale du Travail de Belgique, CGTB) was a socialist national trade union federation in Belgium active between 1937 and 1944 when it was superseded by the General Labour Federation of Belgium.

History

The federation was established on 5 December 1937, as a replacement for the Trade Union Commission. It was more centralised than its predecessor, and was not formally linked with the Belgian Labour Party.[1] By 1939, it had about 540,000 members, making it the largest trade union federation in the country.[2]

After 1940, it briefly operated under the German occupation, with new leadership who disavowed class struggle, but was banned completely later in the year.[1]

Much of the trade union movement took part in the Belgian Resistance. Some tried to operate underground, while some leaders formed the Belgian Trade Union Centre in London. On 29 April 1945, with the occupation ended, the BVV was officially merged with the communist Belgian Federation of Unity Syndicates and the Unified Trade Unions, to form the General Labour Federation of Belgium.[1]

Affiliates
Union[1]Flemish abbreviationFrench abbreviationMembership (1937)[3]
Belgian Union of Tramway and Municipal Transport WorkersCBPTBCTBAP12,600
Belgian Typographical FederationBTFFTB5,356
Belgian Union of Transport WorkersUTBBTB29,000
Central Union of Public Service WorkersCOD16,225
General Diamond Workers' Association of BelgiumADB12,602
General UnionCGAC120,732
General Union of Employees, Warehousemen, Technicians and Travelling Salesmen of BelgiumSETCaBBTK15,806
Leather Workers' Union7,910
National Federation of Jewellery and Related Trades438
National Food FederationHORVALHORVAL8,325
National Union of Civil Defence Staff2,489
National Union of Rail, Post, Telegraph, Telephone, Marine and Aviation WorkersIJPTTZLChPTTMA41,310
Tobacco Workers' Union4,500
Socialist Union of Education WorkersCSOP5,400
Union of Agents in North Belgium3,732
Union of Agricultural Operations Staff492
Union of Belgian StoneworkersCOPB20,830
Union of Belgian Textile WorkersCOTBTACB65,204
Union of Bookworkers of BelgiumCSB4,233
Union of Clothing Workers and Kindred Trades in BelgiumCKAVBCVPS3,349
Union of Doctors120
Union of Hatters600
Union of Merchant Navy Officers900
Union of Mineworkers of BelgiumCSTMBNCMB46,701
Union of Socialist Journalists100
Union of the Belgian Metal IndustryCMBCMB116,465

Leadership

Presidents
1937: Edward De Vlamynck
1940: Joseph Bondas

General Secretaries
1937: Joseph Bondas
1939: Joseph Bondas and Jef Rens
1940: Jef Rens

References
  1. "BELGISCH VAKVERBOND / CONFÉDÉRATION GÉNÉRALE DU TRAVAIL DE BELGIQUE (1938-1945)". ODIS. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  2. Witte, Els; Craeybeckx, Jan; Meynen, Alain (2009). Political History of Belgium From 1830 Onwards. ASP. p. 166. ISBN 9789054875178.
  3. Vandaele, Kurt (2002). "Begeesterd door de telduivel". Brood & Rozen (1): 34.
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