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 (, or simply , FO), is one of the five major union confederations in France. In terms of following, it is the third behind the CGT and the CFDT. Force Ouvrière was founded in 1948 by former ...

from 1948 to 1963. Born in Baule, Bothereau worked on the family's vineyard while his father fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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

Metalworkers' Federation The Metalworkers' Federation (, 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 of Metallurgical Workers, the National Federation of Mold ...

, 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 Léon Jouhaux (1 July 1879 – 28 April 1954) was a French trade union leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1951. Biography Jouhaux was born in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. Jouhaux's father worked in a match factory in Aubervillie ...

. 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''. Bothereau was called up at the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, but remained supportive of the CGT line, denouncing the

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact and the Nazi–Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Ge ...

, 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 W ...

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 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 t ...

, while running the workshop at a training centre in Paris. The CGT was established legally 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, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany in ...

, 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 The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 whe ...

. Bothereau retired in 1963, serving on the general council of the

Bank of France The Bank of France ( ) is the national central bank for France within the Eurosystem. It was the French central bank between 1800 and 1998, issuing the French franc. It does not translate its name to English, and thus calls itself ''Banque de F ...

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

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

, 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