Action Ouvrière (French for "Worker Action") is the name of two distinct historical organizations in France: a trade union created in 1948 affiliated with the Gaullist movement, and a clandestine resistance network active during World War II.
1. Action Ouvrière (1948) – Gaullist Trade Union
Action Ouvrière was a trade union organization created in 1948 and affiliated with the Rally of the French People (RPF), the political movement founded by Charles de Gaulle. Its creation was part of the Gaullists' strategy to establish a foothold in the labor movement and challenge left-wing unions, particularly the communist-dominated CGT. Its principal leaders were Louis Vallon and Yvon Morandat.
Sociological Base
By the end of 1948, the union had approximately 140,000 members. Its membership consisted primarily of managers and foremen, but also included a significant proportion of workers (46.7%), reflecting the RPF's ability to attract diverse social groups.
Political Positioning and Ideology
Charles de Gaulle envisioned Action Ouvrière as a vehicle to promote a form of nationalism that integrated the working class and transcended class conflict. However, the union quickly positioned itself to the left of the broader Gaullist movement, evolving from corporatist ideals toward advocating co-management and associational policies. This shift generated mistrust among the RPF leadership.
The union was staunchly anti-communist. It criticized the CGT for politicizing labor movements and accused it of serving the interests of the Soviet Union and the Kominform rather than French workers. Action Ouvrière instructed its members to participate in legitimate strikes while keeping them focused on professional, rather than political, objectives. It opposed solidarity strikes and sabotage.
One of the RPF's key proposals promoted by Action Ouvrière was the "Capital-Labor Association" (association capital-travail), a precursor to modern profit-sharing schemes, which later influenced French labor laws such as the 1967 ordinance on employee profit-sharing.
Press Organs
Action Ouvrière operated several publications, including:
- L'Étincelle (April 1947 – January 1948)
- Le Rassemblement (January 1948 – June 1954)
- L'Étincelle ouvrière (August 1947 – February 1948)
- Le Rassemblement ouvrier (February – November 1950)
Decline
Historian Bernard Lachaise attributes the decline of Action Ouvrière to three main factors: the stabilization of Cold War tensions (reducing the perceived threat of communism), the internal division and dissolution of the RPF, and a broader decline in union membership across France in the post-war period.
2. Action ouvrière (1942–1944) – French Resistance Network
During World War II, "Action ouvrière" (also referred to as "Action ouvrière de Combat" or abbreviated "AO") was a clandestine service created within the Combat resistance movement in the summer of 1942. It was founded by Marcel Degliame at the request of Henri Frenay, the head of Combat. Its primary mission was to organize industrial sabotage in factories working for the German occupier and to fight against the Service du Travail Obligatoire (forced labor draft).
After the unification of resistance movements in the southern zone in 1943, Action ouvrière was integrated into the Mouvements Unis de la Résistance (MUR) and later into the broader structures of the Mouvement de Libération Nationale (MLN). In April–May 1944, its branches were merged into the Corps Francs de la Libération and subsequently into the French Forces of the Interior (FFI).
The service also published a clandestine newspaper, Action, which continued after the Liberation as a weekly political and cultural journal until 1952.
References
- Guiol, Patrick (1985). L'Impasse sociale du gaullisme, le RPF et l'Action ouvrière. Paris: Presses de la Fondation nationale des sciences politiques.
- Lachaise, Bernard (1990). "De Gaulle et les gaullistes face aux conflits sociaux au temps du RPF." In La politique sociale du général de Gaulle. Publications de l'Institut de recherches historiques du Septentrion.
- Lefranc, Georges (1973). Le syndicalisme en France. Paris: PUF.
