Freie Lëtzebuerger Arbechterverband
Encyclopedia
The Free Luxembourger Workers' Union was a national trade union centre in Luxembourg
, active between 1945 and 1965.
stance of the LAV leadership.
of the Communist Party of Luxembourg
, including the FLA president Nic Momper and general secretary Jos Grandgenet. The opponents of FLA accused it of being a communist front. LAV charged that the founding of FLA had been an idea hatched by the communist leader Dominique Urbany.
FLA was affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions
.
, were LAV retained their prominence). However, it began to decline with the onset of the Cold War
. From 1949 onwards the influence of FLA declined. An important factor contributing to this development was the exclusion of FLA from collective bargaining negotiations, a policy upheld by both the Luxembourgian employers as well as the trade union competitors (LAV and the LCGB
). FLA was however able to retain a foothold in industries in small and medium-sized companies in rural areas of the country for some time.
In the 1950 elections to the Labour Chamber, FLA trailed behind both LAV and LCGB.
, CGIL, EVC) set up a Common Market Action Committee.
In 1965 FLA was dissolved. At the time of its dissolution, it had around 1500 members. Most of them joined LAV unions.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, active between 1945 and 1965.
Founding
FLA was founded in 1945, after a split in the Lëtzebuerger Arbechterverband (LAV). The founders of FLA revolted against the anti-communistAnti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
stance of the LAV leadership.
Communist links
Several of the FLA leaders were also members of the Central CommitteeCentral Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party of Luxembourg
Communist Party of Luxembourg
The Communist Party of Luxembourg , abbreviated to KPL or PCL, is a communist political party in Luxembourg.Ali Ruckert is the current chairman of the party.- History :...
, including the FLA president Nic Momper and general secretary Jos Grandgenet. The opponents of FLA accused it of being a communist front. LAV charged that the founding of FLA had been an idea hatched by the communist leader Dominique Urbany.
FLA was affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
.
Onset of the Cold War
At the time of its foundation FLA had around 10-11 000 members. As of 1946, FLA was the largest trade union centre amongst blue-collar workers. It was the majority union in metal industries and mines (with the exception of the mines at DudelangeDudelange
Dudelange is a commune with city status in southern Luxembourg. It is the fourth-most populous commune, with over 18,300 inhabitants. Dudelange is situated close to the border to France....
, were LAV retained their prominence). However, it began to decline with the onset of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. From 1949 onwards the influence of FLA declined. An important factor contributing to this development was the exclusion of FLA from collective bargaining negotiations, a policy upheld by both the Luxembourgian employers as well as the trade union competitors (LAV and the LCGB
Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions
The Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions , abbreviated to LCGB, is a Luxembourgish trade union confederation. As its statutes state, it abides by the 'principles of Christian social teachings'....
). FLA was however able to retain a foothold in industries in small and medium-sized companies in rural areas of the country for some time.
In the 1950 elections to the Labour Chamber, FLA trailed behind both LAV and LCGB.
Later phase and dissolution
In 1958 FLA, along with three other WFTU-affiliated labour centres in Western Europe (CGTConfédération générale du travail
The General Confederation of Labour is a national trade union center, the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions.It is the largest in terms of votes , and second largest in terms of membership numbers.Its membership decreased to 650,000 members in 1995-96 The General...
, CGIL, EVC) set up a Common Market Action Committee.
In 1965 FLA was dissolved. At the time of its dissolution, it had around 1500 members. Most of them joined LAV unions.