General Labour Confederation of Belgium

The General Labour Confederation of Belgium (Belgisch Vakverbond, BVV; Confédération Générale du Travail de Belgique, CGTB) was a socialist national trade union federation in Belgium active between 1937 and 1944 when it was superseded by the General Labour Federation of Belgium.

History
The federation was established on 5 December 1937, as a replacement for the Trade Union Commission. It was more centralised than its predecessor, and was not formally linked with the Belgian Labour Party. By 1939, it had about 540,000 members, making it the largest trade union federation in the country.

After 1940, it briefly operated under the German occupation, with new leadership who disavowed class struggle, but was banned completely later in the year.

Much of the trade union movement took part in the Belgian Resistance. Some tried to operate underground, while some leaders formed the Belgian Trade Union Centre in London. On 29 April 1945, with the occupation ended, the BVV was officially merged with the communist Belgian Federation of Unity Syndicates and the Unified Trade Unions, to form the General Labour Federation of Belgium.

Presidents

 * 1937: Edward De Vlamynck
 * 1940: Joseph Bondas

General Secretaries

 * 1937: Joseph Bondas
 * 1939: Joseph Bondas and Jef Rens
 * 1940: Jef Rens