# Louis Saillant

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{{Short description|French trade unionist (1910–1974)}}
thumb|right|Saillant in 1944
'''Louis André Saillant''' ({{IPA|fr|lwi ɑ̃dʁe sajɑ̃}}; 27 November 1910 – 28 October 1974) was a [French](/source/French_people) trade unionist and [resistance](/source/French_Resistance) fighter.
== Biography ==
Born in [Valence, Drôme](/source/Valence%2C_Dr%C3%B4me), Saillant worked as a cabinet maker.  He became active in the [General Confederation of Labour](/source/General_Confederation_of_Labour_(France)) (CGT), becoming secretary of its Building and Woodworkers' Federation.  In 1940, the [Vichy government](/source/Vichy_government) outlawed trade unions, but the CGT continued, illegally, in support of the [French Resistance](/source/French_Resistance).  Saillant was a signatory to the ''Manifesto of the Twelve'', in which twelve leading trade unionists publicly opposed Vichy policy, and was also active in [Libération-Nord](/source/Lib%C3%A9ration-Nord).<ref name="larousse">{{cite web |title=Louis Saillant |url=https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/personnage/Saillant/142044 |website=Larousse |accessdate=8 November 2019}}</ref><ref name="iftu">{{cite book |last=Goethem|first=Geert van | title =The Amsterdam International: the world of the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), 1913-1945|year=2006| publisher = [Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.](/source/Ashgate_Publishing)| isbn= 978-0-7546-5254-0}}</ref><ref name="obituary">{{cite news |title=Louis Saillant Is Dead at 73; Headed W.F.T.U. for 24 Years |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/29/archives/louis-saillant-is-dead-at-73-headed-wf-tu-for-24-years-opposed.html |accessdate=8 November 2019 |work=New York Times |date=29 October 1974}}</ref>

In 1943, the CGT was a founding element of the [National Council of the Resistance](/source/National_Council_of_the_Resistance) (CNR), and Saillant became its delegate to the CNR, taking over as chair of the resistance in 1944.<ref name="larousse" /><ref name="obituary" />

In 1945, he attended the [World Trade Union Conference](/source/World_Trade_Union_Conference) in London alongside many renowned trade unionists and he was elected as the general secretary of the [World Federation of Trade Unions](/source/World_Federation_of_Trade_Unions) (WFTU).  When the anti-communist wing split away from the CGT and formed [Workers' Force](/source/Workers'_Force) (FO), he supported the generally communist majority, but thereafter devoted his time to the WFTU.<ref name="obituary" /> In 1948, he was excluded from the [French Section of the Workers' International](/source/French_Section_of_the_Workers'_International) (SFIO) for having sided with the CGT in the split.

Saillant denounced the [1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia](/source/1968_invasion_of_Czechoslovakia).  He resigned as leader of the WFTU shortly afterwards, blaming health problems, and was instead made honorary president of the federation.  He was also president of the [World Peace Movement](/source/Mouvement_de_la_Paix), and won the [Lenin Prize](/source/Lenin_Peace_Prize).<ref name="larousse" /><ref name="iftu" /><ref name="obituary" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{PM20|FID=pe/024855}}

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{{succession box|title=Chair of the [National Council of the Resistance](/source/National_Council_of_the_Resistance)|years=1944|before=[Georges Bidault](/source/Georges_Bidault)|after=''Victory in France''}}
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{{succession box|title=General Secretary of the [World Federation of Trade Unions](/source/World_Federation_of_Trade_Unions)|years=1945&ndash;1968|before=''New position''|after=[Pierre Gensous](/source/Pierre_Gensous)}}
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{{World Federation of Trade Unions}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saillant, Louis}}
Category:1910 births
Category:1974 deaths
Category:People from Valence, Drôme
Category:French Section of the Workers' International politicians
Category:Members of the Provisional Consultative Assembly
Category:Members of the General Confederation of Labour (France)
Category:French Resistance members
Category:Recipients of the Lenin Peace Prize
Category:Recipients of the Resistance Medal
Category:20th-century French trade unionists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Louis Saillant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Saillant) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Saillant?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.