René Duhamel (29 March 1919 – 23 April 1996) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

trade union leader. Born in Paris, Duhamel was brought up by his mother, after his father died when he was six years old. He left school at the age of 17, working briefly in a shoe factory before moving to the postal sorting office. He initially had a short-term, seasonal, contract, but he led a movement against redundancies among these workers, and was successful in retaining his job. In 1935, Duhamel joined the youth section of the

French Section of the Workers' International The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was found ...

, but he disagreed with its policy of non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War, and so joined the Workers and Peasants' Socialist Party split. After the war, he was a founder of the Unitary Socialist Party, joining its executive committee, but later left the party to focus on trade union work. In 1939, Duhamel was enlisted into the French Army, joining the meteorological service, based initially in France, but then in Algeria. He then returned to the postal service, rising to become an inspector. He was active in the

National Federation of PTT Workers The Federation of Employees in the Postal and Telecommunications Sector (french: Fédération des salariés du secteur des activités postales et de télécommunications, FAPT) is a trade union representing communication workers in France. The un ...

, and remained loyal when it split in 1947. In 1948, he began working on secondment to the union, becoming in 1949 the founding vice-president of the

International Union of Trade Unions of Postal, Telephone and Telegraph Workers The Trade Union International Public Service and Allied (TUI PS&A) is a section of the World Federation of Trade Unions representing public sector workers. History The union was founded at a conference in East Berlin on October 29, 1949 as t ...

, becoming president in 1950. In this role, he signed a declaration of friendship with East Germany, leading to his suspension from the postal service in 1951. In 1957, Duhamel became deputy general secretary of his union, then in 1963, he moved to work for the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), to which it was affiliated, taking responsibility for its educational activities. He retired in 1978, but continued to represent the CGT on various national bodies. Duhamel was made a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1981, and the same year, was finally reinstated at the postal service, becoming a deputy departmental director. He was promoted to departmental director the following year, and placed on secondment to the CGT.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duhamel, Rene 1919 births 1996 deaths Trade unionists from Paris French Army personnel of World War II