Confédération générale des travailleurs africains
Encyclopedia
The Confédération générale des travailleurs africains ('General Confederation of African Workers', CGTA) was a trade union
centre in French West Africa
, founded in 1956.
A leader of the French
Confédération générale du travail (CGT) in West Africa, Bassirou Guèye, had begun to promote the idea that African trade unionists should make themselves independent from the French centres. At a meeting of the Senegal
-Mauritania
branch of CGT, held in Dakar
November 11-November 12, 1955, the majority of delegates voted for separation from the French CGT and the World Federation of Trade Unions
. After the break with CGT, these unions formed CGT-Autonome. A conference was held in Saint-Louis
on January 14-January 15, 1956 during which CGT-Autonome and the Guinea
n branch of CGT formed the CGTA. Sékou Touré and Seydou Diallo became leaders of CGTA.
CGTA held its first federal bureau meeting in Conakry
, November 1956. The meeting was attended by representatives from Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta
and Niger
. The meeting decided that CGTA would remain unaffiliated to any French federation. The question on international affiliation was postponed to be decided later.
CGTA rejected the notion of class struggle
in the African context, arguing that antagostic classes were not present in African societies.
CGTA had approximately 55,000 members, slightly smaller than the CGT (which still had around 60,000 members in the region).
CGT responded to the launching of CGTA by calling for an African trade unionist unity conference. CGTA agreed in principle, but wanted to delay the holding the conference (seeking to enlarge its own ranks first, to get a better negotiating position ahead of the unity conference). There were some unions, such as the railway workers' union, that remained unaffiliated to any central. CGTA hoped that such unions would join CGTA before a unity process. The railway workers' union did however not agree to join CGTA. Instead, they called for the foundation of a single independent union federation. CGTA and CGT both agreed to the proposal, and on January 16, 1957 they (and other major union formations in French West Africa) merged to form Union générale des Travailleurs d'Afrique noire (UGTAN).
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
centre in French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
, founded in 1956.
A leader of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Confédération générale du travail (CGT) in West Africa, Bassirou Guèye, had begun to promote the idea that African trade unionists should make themselves independent from the French centres. At a meeting of the Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
-Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
branch of CGT, held in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
November 11-November 12, 1955, the majority of delegates voted for separation from the French CGT and the World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
. After the break with CGT, these unions formed CGT-Autonome. A conference was held in Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Saint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005. Saint-Louis...
on January 14-January 15, 1956 during which CGT-Autonome and the Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n branch of CGT formed the CGTA. Sékou Touré and Seydou Diallo became leaders of CGTA.
CGTA held its first federal bureau meeting in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, November 1956. The meeting was attended by representatives from Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta
Republic of Upper Volta
The Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960 it attained full independence from France.Thomas Sankara came to power...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. The meeting decided that CGTA would remain unaffiliated to any French federation. The question on international affiliation was postponed to be decided later.
CGTA rejected the notion of class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
in the African context, arguing that antagostic classes were not present in African societies.
CGTA had approximately 55,000 members, slightly smaller than the CGT (which still had around 60,000 members in the region).
CGT responded to the launching of CGTA by calling for an African trade unionist unity conference. CGTA agreed in principle, but wanted to delay the holding the conference (seeking to enlarge its own ranks first, to get a better negotiating position ahead of the unity conference). There were some unions, such as the railway workers' union, that remained unaffiliated to any central. CGTA hoped that such unions would join CGTA before a unity process. The railway workers' union did however not agree to join CGTA. Instead, they called for the foundation of a single independent union federation. CGTA and CGT both agreed to the proposal, and on January 16, 1957 they (and other major union formations in French West Africa) merged to form Union générale des Travailleurs d'Afrique noire (UGTAN).