France 1906

Synopsis

The Charter of Amiens was a statement of anarchosyndicalist principles adopted overwhelmingly at the annual congress of the major French trade union, the Conféderation Générale du Travail (CGT), when it met in the city of Amiens on 8-16 October 1906. The charter quickly attained mythical status, principally for its emphasis on the importance of keeping trade union affairs separate from political parties. A close look at the charter shows that it was less a blanket endorsement of anarcho-syndicalism than an expression of the conflicting strains within French unionism and a realistic reflection of political realities. Within the CGT, support for the charter came from a broad political coalition that spanned left to right and united mainly in opposition to Marxist domination. While revolutionary syndicalists tried to avoid entanglements with the state, one of the chief reasons for the charter's success...