Succession war at the CGT: how Bernard Thibault had missed his exit

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Mobilized on the front by the battle against the pension reform, the CGT is also internally to find a successor to Philippe Martinez. It is in this explosive context that opens Monday, March 27 in Clermont-Ferrand, the 53rd congress of the first union in France.

A little over 10 years ago, the battle for Bernard Thibault’s succession lasted for many months. Pushed towards the exit, the secretary general, in office for 13 years wanted to choose his heir. In June 2012, Agnès Laurent deciphered behind the scenes of this failed outing.

The Express of June 6, 2012

Bernard Thibault – How to miss his exit

If he practiced boxing, Bernard Thibault would be one of those fighters that their opponents knock down once, twice, three times and who always get up. They prefer to take new blows rather than concede a defeat by KO. At the CGT, the fights are symbolic, but the uppercuts are no less violent.

For more than six months now, the trade union organization has been torn apart over the succession of the current secretary general, which is due to take place in March 2013, in Toulouse. In this “democratic process of unprecedented form” – as underlined, in a very involuntary line of humor, a press release from the CGT -, Bernard Thibault more than ever deserves his nickname of “sphinx”. In Montreuil, no one can explain the stubbornness of the leader of the great strikes of 1995 who wants to impose a candidate, in fact a candidate, whom no one wants. Credited with having saved the CGT, after the disappearance of communism, Thibault is in the process of erasing thirteen years of a generally positive balance sheet.

Last fall, when he began to think about what to do next, the secretary general of the CGT asked himself a lot of questions. He who has been in office since 1999 should he seek a fifth and final term or step down? Who, by the way? A man, a woman ? Reformist tendency or rather orthodox? A 40-year-old or a 50-year-old? To try to see more clearly, he consults about twenty bosses of federations and large departmental unions. The answer is without appeal. Yes, his mission accomplished, he must leave the head of the Montreuil plant. And yes, there is a candidate who meets the needs of the CGT: Eric Aubin, head of the construction federation, in charge of the pension file.

Two names circulating as an alternative to Eric Aubin

In Montreuil, everyone is convinced of it: Bernard Thibault hoped that he would be asked to stay. It is not so. The shock is harsh, but it bows. And takes the fight to another field: we no longer want him, he wants to choose his heir. Exactly, not Eric Aubin. Officially, because he wants to modernize the CGT by propelling a woman to its summit. In reality, because the current does not flow with his Mr. Retreats. It’s hard to understand what separates them. Some argue that the former railway worker would not have appreciated Aubin’s criticism of the current confederal leadership. Others, that Jean-Christophe Le Duigou, close adviser to Bernard Thibault and long responsible for pensions, would have liked to be more solicited by Eric Aubin during the 2010 reform and would now push for the rejection of his candidacy. The last, finally, that the boss of the construction federation would have considerably irritated the 8th floor – that of the secretary general – by openly campaigning to settle there.

Whatever. In the spring, the conflict takes a totally irrational turn. Two names circulate as an alternative to Eric Aubin. That of Nadine Prigent, former leader of the health federation, to whom Bernard Thibault entrusted relations with other trade unions, and that of Agnès Naton, from the federation of postal and telecommunications activities, now responsible of the weekly Nouvelle Vie Ouvrière. But neither of them arouses enthusiasm. The first is considered rough, with a rather confusing unanimity. The second suffers from her status as a young retiree and from being, because of her current position, marginalized within the confederation.

Twice, Thibault is outvoted

Against all expectations, Bernard Thibault opts for Nadine Prigent. A first time, in April, he is tempted to submit his name to the vote of his executive committee (EC), the body which brings together the 54 main leaders of the CGT. He hesitates, retreats, begins a major regional tour in nine stages, convinced that he can convince. When he returned to the charge, on May 25, he lost by 20 votes, against 21. An incredible failure when we know the very legitimist character of the EC. Even supporters of Eric Aubin did not expect so much. It is true that the Thibault camp made a rookie mistake by starting by asking the wrong question: “Who is for Nadine Prigent?” Leaving the opponents to have fun. “If they had first asked: ‘Who is against Bernard’s choice?’, the answer would have been different”, underlines one of the participants in the vote.

A week later, Thibault goes back to the ring. On May 30 and 31, the National Confederal Committee (CCN) is held, the only body with decision-making power. Bernard Thibault extracts the principle of a new ballot from the executive committee and obtains the appointment of Nadine Prigent. This time, the choice was not “for” or “against” the former nurse. Everyone was invited to vote for their favourite, making it impossible for the various opponents of the “darling” to come together. In the first round, Prigent won with 17 votes, against 16 to Agnès Naton and 15 to Eric Aubin. And beats Agnès Naton in the second. But a few hours later, the CCN, whose composition is broader, unambiguously rejects the name of Nadine Prigent.

It’s a stalemate, or “brothel,” to use the less civilized term of a member of management. An uninformed observer will be surprised at such a mess within the first French union that he imagines as a corporal, lined up as one man behind the boss. It’s exactly the opposite, especially since the end of communism: the CGT is a Spanish inn where everyone brings their sensitivity and Thibault never wanted to impose a single line.

However, this is the first time that a conflict of such magnitude has been brought to the public square. Of course, in 2005, at the time of the referendum on the European Constitutional Treaty, Bernard Thibault was outvoted when he defended the neutrality of the confederation. But, on questions of men, silence has always been de rigueur.

A tragicomedy that will last until the fall

From now on, the differences are exposed. More serious, the conflict – it will last at least until the fall – will prevent the CGT from taking its full place in the social dialogue launched by the government. Its main competitor, the CFDT, can only benefit from this erasure. Already on May 15, Bernard Thibault, busy with his regional tour, did not go to the Elysée for the investiture ceremony of François Hollande, whom he nevertheless openly supported during the campaign. He was also absent from the first meetings with his main interlocutors in the ministries.

To ease the tension after the CCN of May 30 and 31, the confederal leadership decided to save time, by asking the executive committee to re-specify “method” and “calendar”. A first meeting is scheduled for mid-June, but we will have to wait for the CCN in the fall to know the final outcome of this tragicomedy. Bernard Thibault has no more cards in hand: Nadine Prigent has been eliminated and he said he would not support Agnès Naton. Many hope that, to avoid a total fiasco, he will end up going along with the wishes of the majority. A wish that they have already expressed on several occasions, without ever being able to make themselves heard by the very obstinate Mr. Thibault. As if, each time he was sent back to the ropes, he only wanted to put on the gloves again.