Confédération Générale du Travail-Syndicaliste Révolutionnaire

The Confédération Générale du Travail-Syndicaliste Révolutionnaire (General Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions) was a trade union federation in France founded in 1926 by Pierre Besnard with the help of the Spanish CNT. It was affiliated to the International Workers' Association.[1]

It was an anarchist split from the Confédération générale du travail unitaire (CGT-U)[2] and was made illegal in 1939.

Theoretical Legacy

Its legacy comprises the charter of Lyons, which founded anti-political syndicalism.

Syndicalist Activity

It took part in the major struggles of its time, like anti-colonialism, the strikes of June 1936 in France, or the support to Spanish Republicans during the Spanish Civil War[3] and the resistance to the Nazis.

The CGT-SR actively opposed French colonialism, both in Algeria and in France. For the occasion of the centenary of the colonisation of Algeria, in 1930, a declaration denouncing colonialism was signed by the Union Anarchiste, the CGT-SR and the Association des Fédéralistes Anarchistes.

Famous members

• Pierre Besnard
• Victor Giraud
• Paul Lapeyre
• Sail Mohamed (1894–1953)
• Adrien Perrissaguet
• Vincent Joseph (1920- )
• Antoine Turmo

References

1. Facing the Enemy: A History of Anarchist Organization from Proudhon to May 1968, Alexandre Skirda, Tr. Paul Sharkey, AK Press, 2002, ISBN 1-902593-19-7, ISBN 978-1-902593-19-7, page 117.
2. Syndicalism and the transition to communism: an international comparative analysis, Ralph Darlington, Ed. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2008, ISBN 0-7546-3617-8, ISBN 978-0-7546-3617-5, page 172
3. Durruti in the Spanish revolution, Abel Paz, José Luis Gutiérrez Molina, Chuck Morse, Tr. Chuck Morse, AK Press, 2007, ISBN 1-904859-50-X, 9781904859505, page 134.

See also

• Anarchism in France