The General Labour Confederation of Belgium (, BVV; , CGTB) was a socialist national trade union federation in Belgium active between 1937 and 1945, when it merged with two other labor unions to form the General Labour Federation of Belgium.
History The federation was established on 5 December 1937, as a replacement for the Trade Union Commission. It was more centralised than its predecessor, and was not formally linked with the Belgian Labour Party. By 1939, it had about 540,000 members, making it the largest trade union federation in the country.
After 1940, it briefly operated under the German occupation, with new leadership who disavowed class struggle, but was banned completely later in the year.
Much of the trade union movement took part in the Belgian Resistance. Some tried to operate underground, while some leaders formed the Belgian Trade Union Centre in London. On 29 April 1945, with the occupation ended, the BVV was officially merged with the communist Belgian Federation of Unity Syndicates and the Unified Trade Unions, to form the General Labour Federation of Belgium.
Affiliates Union Flemish abbreviation French abbreviation Membership (1937) Belgian Union of Tramway and Municipal Transport Workers CBPT BCTBAP 12,600 Belgian Typographical Federation BTF FTB 5,356 Belgian Union of Transport Workers UTB BTB 29,000 Central Union of Public Service Workers COD 16,225 General Diamond Workers' Association of Belgium ADB 12,602 General Union CG AC 120,732 General Union of Employees, Warehousemen, Technicians and Travelling Salesmen of Belgium SETCa BBTK 15,806 Leather Workers' Union 7,910 National Federation of Jewellery and Related Trades 438 National Food Federation HORVAL HORVAL 8,325 National Union of Civil Defence Staff 2,489 National Union of Rail, Post, Telegraph, Telephone, Marine and Aviation Workers IJPTTZL ChPTTMA 41,310 Tobacco Workers' Union 4,500 Socialist Union of Education Workers CSOP 5,400 Union of Agents in North Belgium 3,732 Union of Agricultural Operations Staff 492 Union of Belgian Stoneworkers COPB 20,830 Union of Belgian Textile Workers COTB TACB 65,204 Union of Bookworkers of Belgium CSB 4,233 Union of Clothing Workers and Kindred Trades in Belgium CKAVB CVPS 3,349 Union of Doctors 120 Union of Hatters 600 Union of Merchant Navy Officers 900 Union of Mineworkers of Belgium CSTMB NCMB 46,701 Union of Socialist Journalists 100 Union of the Belgian Metal Industry CMB CMB 116,465
Leadership Presidents 1937: Edward De Vlamynck 1940: Joseph Bondas
General Secretaries 1937: Joseph Bondas 1939: Joseph Bondas and Jef Rens 1940: Jef Rens
References