Robert Eugène Amilcar Bothereau (22 February 1901 - 31 May 1985) was a French trade union leader. He was the secretary general of

Workers' Force The General Confederation of Labor - Workers' Force (french: Confédération Générale du Travail - Force Ouvrière, or simply , FO), is one of the five major union confederations in France. In terms of following, it is the third behind the CGT ...

from 1948 to 1963. Born in

Baule Baule () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The writer Michèle Desbordes (1940–2006) died in Baule. Population See also * Communes of the Loiret department The following is the list of the 325 communes of the L ...

, Bothereau worked on the family's vineyard while his father fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, then completed an apprenticeship as a car mechanic. He joined the

Metalworkers' Federation The Metalworkers' Federation (french: Fédération des travailleurs de la métallurgie, FTM) is a trade union representing workers in the metallurgical industry in France. The union was founded in May 1909 and brought together the Federal Union o ...

, an affiliate of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT). He undertook his compulsory military service in Orleans, then afterwards remained there, working as a car mechanic. As he was employed by the government, he joined the local union of state workers, soon becoming its deputy secretary, and also serving on the committee of the Orleans trades council. He began to do much work for the departmental CGT union, and in 1929, was elected as its secretary. CGT membership in the department grew under Bothereau, and his skills were recognised by CGT leader Léon Jouhaux. in 1933, he was appointed to the CGT executive, where he worked closely with Jouhaux, his responsibilities including labour issues, relationships with the departmental unions, and publication of ''

La Voix du Peuple LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

''. Bothereau was called up at the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, but remained supportive of the CGT line, denouncing the

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , long_name = Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27337, Moskau, Stalin und Ribbentrop im Kreml.jpg , image_width = 200 , caption = Stalin and Ribbentrop shaking ...

, and trying to maintain activity in spite of increasing government restrictions. In 1940,

René Belin René Belin (14 April 1898 – 2 January 1977) was a French trade unionist and politician. In the 1930s he became one of the leaders of the French General Confederation of Labour. He was strongly opposed to communism. In the prelude to World War ...

led a minority of the CGT into collaboration with the Vichy government, and Bothereau met with Belin against Jouhaux's advice, but ultimately decided to side with the resistance. In 1941, he secretly relocated to northern France, jointly leading the underground northern section of the CGT with

Louis Saillant Louis André Saillant (27 November 1910 – 28 October 1974) was a French people, French trade unionist and resistance fighter. Born in Valence (city), Valance, Saillant worked as a cabinet maker. He became active in the General Confederation ...

and

Albert Gazier Albert Gazier (16 May 1908 – 2 March 1997) was a French trade union leader and politician. During World War II (1939–45) he helped reorganize the unions during the German occupation of France. He escaped arrest by the Gestapo, made his way to ...

, while running the workshop at a training centre in Paris. The CGT was established legally following the liberation of France, and Bothereau returned to its executive, resigning in 1947 and working with Jouhaux to form

(FO), established in April 1948. Jouhaux opted to become president of FO, leaving the post of general secretary open to Bothereau. The federation remained fairly small under his leadership, priding itself on its independence from political parties, and its affiliation to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Bothereau retired in 1963, serving on the general council of the

Bank of France The Bank of France ( French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the F ...

, and from 1964 to 1967 was a Conseiller d'État. He then retired to

Beaugency Beaugency () is a commune in the Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire, north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver (northeast) from Blois and downriver from Orléans. History 11 March 1152 the council of Beaugency annulled ...

, where he was elected to the local council as an independent, becoming deputy mayor.

References

1901 births 1985 deaths Workers' Force members {{Trade-unionist-bio-stub