Maurice Bouladoux (16 July 1907,

Parthenay Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...

– 8 November 1977) was a French trade union leader. Born in , Bouladoux left school when he was 15, and became an accounting assistant in a textile mill. He joined a trade union in 1922, and was secretary of his union branch within a year. In 1925, while still only 18, he was a founder of the Christian Trade Unionist Youth, and began working as the secretary to

Gaston Tessier Aimé Auguste Tessier, known as Gaston Tessier (15 June 1887 – 8 August 1960) was a French trade unionist and Resistance member. Born in Paris, Tessier attended a Christian Brothers' school. In 1905, he joined the Trade and Industry Employ ...

, general secretary of the

French Confederation of Christian Workers The French Confederation of Christian Workers (french: italic=no, Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens; CFTC) is one of the five major French confederation of trade unions, belonging to the social Christian tradition. It was ...

(CFTC). He held numerous administrative roles in the union, and wrote regularly on the subject of Christian trade unionism. From 1934, he also served as a councillor in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt. Bouladoux was appointed as deputy general secretary of the CFTC in 1937, but argued that the federation should not seek large numbers of new recruits, as that might destabilise the organisation. When the CFTC was banned, in 1940, he was one of three CFTC signatories to the Manifesto of the Twelve, arguing against the dissolution of existing unions. He found work in management in a chemical works, and worked with former CFTC and General Confederation of Labour (CGT) leaders in opposing the Vichy regime. The CFTC was re-established in 1944, following the

liberation of France The liberation of France in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers of World War II, Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French R ...

, and Bouladoux returned to his post as deputy general secretary, then became general secretary in 1948, then in 1953, he moved to become president. From 1946 until 1947, he was also mayor of Saint-Leu-la-Forêt. In 1961, Bouladoux became honorary president of the CFTC, and he instead became president of the

International Federation of Christian Trade Unions The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the ...

, serving until 1972. Bouladoux died in

Saint-Leu-la-Forêt Saint-Leu-la-Forêt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Val-d'Oise department, in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. History In 1806, the commune of Saint-Leu-la-Forêt merge ...

on 8 November 1977.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouladoux, Maurice 1907 births 1977 deaths People from Parthenay French Confederation of Christian Workers members French Democratic Confederation of Labour members Mayors of places in Île-de-France French trade union leaders