CONFÉDÉRATION FRANÇAISE DES TRAVAILLEURS CHRÉTIENS

Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens: translation

   A French labor union (French Confederation of Christian Workers) founded by Roman Catholic workers in 1919. The CFTC was initially strong among white-collar workers and textile workers. However, the union was banned by the Vichy government during World War II. After the war, the union regained strength but, in 1964, the CFTC splintered, forming a new union called the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail or CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labor). Together with the leftist Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), these unions fought for better pay and benefits but have lost strength over the years as jobs, especially in the fashion sector, have moved offshore.