It is an unexpected twist in the trade union world: Sophie Binet is now at the head of the CGT, taking over from Philippe Martínez. The 40-year-old man, previously head of the Federation of Executives (Ugict), was elected secretary general on Friday against all odds. His name arose after stormy negotiations at the 53rd CGT congress, emerging as a compromise between the duo of favorites: Marie Buisson, runner-up to outgoing Philippe Martinez, and her challenger Céline Verzeletti.
Philippe Martinez had been supporting the candidacy of Marie Buisson for his succession for several months, a candidacy approved by the national leadership of the CGT. Responsible for the small Federation of Education, Research and Culture (Ferc), Marie Buisson nevertheless saw her “appointed candidacy”, as the CGT tradition dictates, weakened by her relative discretion and her ecological positions, which have earned her distrust of certain industrial and energy sectors.
What has allowed the name of Céline Verzeletti to appear in recent weeks as an unofficial alternative. Several powerful federations of the CGT, including that of Mines-Énergie, are leading a rebellion against the outgoing management by supporting the candidacy of the general co-secretary of the Federal Union of State Trade Unions (UFSE), considering it more capable of bringing the organization together . than Marie Buisson, and especially closer to the opponents of Philippe Martinez within the leadership of the CGT. Without forgetting Olivier Mateu, departmental secretary general of Bouches-du-Rhône known for his radical position, who is a candidate in his name.
ecological collective
Overwhelmed by disagreements, the CGT congress opened on Monday in a very tense atmosphere, with a succession of speeches hostile to the outgoing leadership. An unprecedented event in the history of the CGT, the report on the latter’s activities was rejected by 50.32% of the delegates, one rejection for Philippe Martínez and an additional failure in the candidacy of Marie Buisson. A vote to leave the CGT environmental collective “Nunca más” was another red light two days later: Marie Buisson represented the CGT when this collective was founded in March 2020.
Previous step, the list of the sixty members of the Confederal Executive Commission (CEC) of the CGT is approved this Thursday by the National Confederal Committee, the “parliament” of the organization that brings together the general secretaries of the 29 federations and the 96 departmental unions. . To enter the list you have to obtain more than 50% of the votes, which was not the case for Olivier Mateu, blocking the way for the general secretary and excluding him from the race without much surprise. Marie Buisson, got weak 57.23% support, report the echoes.
Everything really happened in a dozen hours on the night from Thursday to Friday, when the new CEC began its work. Marie Buisson put a management team on the table, herself as general secretary, but the proposal was rejected by the CCN with a few votes. The members of the CEC met again, this time considering a solution around Céline Verzeletti but could not reach an agreement, the supporters of Marie Buisson fiercely opposed it. Marie Buisson then proposed a new team around her, without success.
a third way
It is in this context of difficult negotiations that a third way has been drawn up. Sophie Binet’s name had been mentioned several times in recent months, without appearing as a solid option or generating any partisan momentum. Faced with the pro-Buisson and pro-Verzeletti inflection, the CEC then proposed an articulated leadership around Sophie Binet in the general secretariat, understanding it as a good compromise between the different lines that fractured the CGT. A winning bet: Sophie Binet was quickly chosen by the CCN after her appointment.
Source: BFM TV
