History of the National union of the students of France
The history of the National union of the students of France (UNEF) merges with those of the other organizations coeds, which apart from the National union inter-academic (PLAIN) and of Student CUS, are all resulting at the time of large UNEF (see Histoire of the movement studied).
1907-1945: apolitical period and asyndicale
1907-1940: Beginnings of the student movement
The UNEF is made up the May 4th 1907 at the time of a gathering of the General association of the students to Lille, in order to constitute a national structure which takes the name of National union of associations coeds of France (UNAEF). The first listed local associations are Nancy (1877), Lille (1881), Paris (1884) and Montpellier (1889). Are present into 1907 the OLD one of Lille, Dijon, Lyon and Bordeaux. Paris will join the UNEF in 1909. The structure is associative (Loi of 1901), because the students cannot legally use the trade union rights (Loi of 1884), reserved with the employees.
This national structuring rises from a will of the students to be represented in the local and national decision-making bodies, like seeking a greater independence with respect to the local political powers (Town hall, Départements, Rectorat).
As of its beginnings, she wants to express the voice of the students, without the mediation of the vice-chancellors, seniors and principals. But it is necessary to await the shortly after the First World War, and the return on the benches of the University of the war veterans so that she launches out in the installation of concrete actions of solidarity. It defends the interests of the students, and encourages the creation of the structures of preventive medicine within the universities, or of the University canteens (RU).
Its dynamism is worth to him the recognition on behalf of the president Gaston Doumergue, who declares it public utility by decree of the May 16th 1929.
In 1933, it opens the Sanatorium of the students of France to Saint-Hilaire-of-Touvet the in order to deal with the students sick of the tuberculosis which makes devastations at that time.
In 1936, it takes part in the creation of the Higher committee of works in favor of the students , ancestor of CNOUS and CROUS. From now on, it represents officially the students within an national authority.
1940-1945: the UNEF during the occupation
After the arrest of Paul Langevin on October 30th, 1940, the UNEF draws from the leaflets requiring its immediate liberation. It organizes a demonstration on November 8th, 1940 then takes part in the manifestation of November 11th, 1940 however prohibited by the occupant.
December 10th, 1940, François Lescure, delegated UNEF in occupied zone, shown to be leading communist students, is stopped then slackening.
1946-1971: Unionization and progressive politization
1946-1950: the turning trade-union, the Charter of Grenoble
Following the Second world war, the debate on the apolitical attitude remakes surface. Indeed, certain OLD had not given an opinion against the occupation and the government of Pétain in the name of this apolitical attitude of the UNEF, on the other hand, the other OLD one, as that of Lyon were very active in the resistance networks. The congress of Grenoble gives place then has a reflection on the future of the structure and its values. It comes out the drafting of a charter from it - called Charte of Grenoble - signed the April 24th 1946. It is based on the world context of the time to make there appear its ideas. The keystone of the charter holds in article 1: the student is a young professional worker . That brings to him a certain number of rights, but also of duties: the right to work, the duty to be integrated into the company, that to acquire knowledge necessary for its professional future, the defense of freedom, the right to a Social security coed, etc This charter marks the beginning of the UNEF as a student trade union, it to date remains the base of the claims of the UNEF.
In June 1947, the trade union is made hear in the street following the advertisement by the government of the fall of the purses and the rise of the university rights.
The MNEF (Mutual main road of the students of France) is created in 1948 to manage the studied mode of social security which has just been obtained thanks to the work of pressure of the UNEF. It marks the entry of the students in the system of the social security, which asserts the Charte of Grenoble. The mutual insurance company is managed by the students, and in particular those pertaining to the UNEF.
This period of post-war period is that of the recognition for the UNEF: lodged in the buildings of the Parisian Committee of works, it maintains good relationships with the leaders of the State and the universities.
1950-1970: first scissions
In the years 1950, internal struggles take place between various groups of ideas. The Guerre of Algeria makes only envenimer these fights, even if the UNEF does not wish to give an opinion in its favor or its discredit, because it is present - in the student mediums - at the same time in Metropolitan France and Algeria. The “majos” , with tendency supporter of corporatism (whereas the “minos” are politically on the left and make take with the UNEF positions anti-war since 1956, with inter alia the question of the military service of the students), consider in spite of very that Algeria is and must remain French. Certain dissidents crééent the Mouvement of the students of France, which does not last, but this evolution marks the beginning of the creation of countervailing powers.
Vis-a-vis these movements, the government threatens to remove the National center of works and obliges the trade union to sign a charter of apolitical attitude to put an end to the internal struggles, which weaken the UNEF. In spite of this loss of independence vis-a-vis being able it, a group of students decides to create, in 1962, the National federation of the students of France (FNEF), which obtains without awaiting a place from the government to which it is closer to the ideas.
The day before the events of May 1968, the UNEF is discredited near the students and the government subsidizes from now on only almost exclusively the FNEF, which he seeks to support. Trotskistes, members of the PSU and other bunches clashes for the control of the UNEF. When burst the strikes coeds of May 68, the UNEF does not have any more a president and is directed by his vice-president Jacques Sauvageot who engages it in the Grève S. After the Strike S of 1968, the UNEF would need a revival.
1971-2001: two UNEF
1971-1980: the scission of 1971
After May 68, in a studying medium agitated by multiple political debates, the studied trade unionism is often neglected by the organizations and militant groups of all natures to the profit of the direct political intervention. The students close to PSU become minority within the UNEF. They make alliance with the Maoists of Red Humanity to constitute a political office of management with in the chair Jean-Pierre Chassine. The two other tendencies are those animated by the AJS (Association of ja revolutionary youth, troskistes- lambertist S) and that animated by the Union of the communist students (UEC) which is called UNEF-Revival and included/understood students of the Convention of the republican institutions (CIR, mitterrandist), but so radical and catholic. January 10th, the provisional office resigns, and the ESU (Student unified Socialists) leave the UNEF. The two other tendencies tear then. An equal permanent delegation sets up itself, and the Audit Board of the UNEF chaired by Michel Sérac (US) undertakes to prepare the Congress. Within sight of the state of division of the UNEF, the students socialist (SFIO) found the tendency " Unit, Independence, Démocratie" and decide to withdraw process.
The participation in the elections (installation following May 68) of faculties and thus in their management, fact discusses within the UNEF. The communist student militants of the tendency “Revival” decide to maintain their participation in the elections coeds. This cleavage between partisans and adversaries of the participation will be the principal official reason for the scission of the UNEF, largely deserted by the students. The other question which will start the hostilities is the sending of the charts to the local sections of the UNEF, become of the committees of union action. The UNEF-Revival estimates to be despoiled and denounces a faked congress. It then joins together the whole of the members of the UNEF-Revival to call with the Congress of Paris.
Two congresses are thus organized simultaneously in 1971. One is held in Dijon, and gathers the partisans of the trade-union UNEF-Unit (constant in particular by the CFDT, Working force and the communist Organization internationalist). For this group, It is a question of refusing any form of participation in the system, while preserving the independence of the organization with respect to the political parties. This Congress gathers only students of the AJS, connects youth of the OCI, Michel Sérac becomes president of the UNEF-US.
The second congress proceeds in Paris, around the UNEF-Revival and supported by the CGT, the SNESup and the Communist party, this congress gathers mainly communist students, mitterrandists and chevenementists. He wants to limit the UNEF to a simple trade-union step directed towards the students, by leaving the prospect for the social transformation to the political parties, primarily Communist. Guy Konopnicki becomes president of the UNEF-Revival.
From now on, two UNEF exist simultaneously. Both assert a union action and does not hesitate to discuss politques questions, for example, against the Guerre of Vietnam.
In 1978, the Comité for the organization of the trade union of the students of France (COSEF) of socialist inspiration joined UNEF-US. The newcomers then organize in the Tendance trade-union rebuilding.
In 1979, UNEF-US takes then the direction of MNEF to the hands of the students of CERES, which militated within the UNEF known as " Renouveau" , near to the Communists. With this occasion, one speaks about a Yalta student because the Socialists who had rejoined the UNEF-US en1978 obtain the direction of the mutual insurance company leaving with the lambertists the direction of the trade union (UNEF-US then UNEF-ID). The creation of UNEF-ID the following year will do nothing but accentuate the domination of the new direction (80% of delegated against 19% for the UNEF-Revival to the congress of Strasbourg of 1982).
1980-1984: the return to the trade unionism and the creation of the UNEF-ID
In May 1980, is created the UNEF-ID (Independent and democratic), on the initiative of several student groupings, of which mainly the Trade-union UNEF-Unit (animated by student militants trotskists of OCI), the FARMHOUSE (Mouvement of Union action) at the time of the congress of Nanterre. Its first President is Jean-Christophe Cambadélis member of OCI. This congress equips the new trade union with a reference document called Charte of Paris. Inspired by the Charter of Grenoble of 1946, the new charter defines the priority work axes: the fight in favor of the coed social security and against the selection at the university.
One of the first large combat of the UNEF-ID is obtaining the abrogation of the law Faure by the new parliamentary majority resulting from the elections of 1981, law which will be replaced by the Loi Savary in 1984.
The abrogation of the Loi Faure will be called upon to justify the participation of the new UNEF-ID in the elections coeds and the various councils in the universities, which she refused since 68.
In 1982, with the congress of Rheims, the UNEF known as Renouveau adopts the line Solidarité coed. She from now on will be usually called UNEF-Solidarity coed or UNEF-SE.
1984-1994: the rise of the UNEF-ID
In 1986, the return to the capacity of the right-hand side causes movements among the trotskists of NCV. Dissidents taken along by Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, decide to join the Socialist party. It is in particular the case the essence of the brains trust UNEF-ID in particular its president Philippe Darriulat. The direction of the trade union is thus changed since it comprises from now on a majority of students close to the Socialist party. But locally, some OLD, in particular Nantes, Turns, Metz, Besancon, etc refuse the change of course.
The UNEF-ID very quickly becomes the student main trade union. It shows its force at the time of the Mouvement against the project Devaquet. This one envisaged to grant to the universities the possibility of selecting their students, a lightening of the national framework of the diplomas and the possibility of modulating the amount of the registration fees. The dispute, which the UNEF-ID tries to frame, starts in particular with the Université Paris XIII of Villetaneuse, where Isabelle Thomas is illustrated and extends to the remainder from France. The movement enters in resonance with the protests of S.O.S Racism against the Minister of Interior Department Charles Pasqua. The November 27th, one counted 600.000 demonstrators. During the brutal repression of the manifestations of the December 5th, Malik Oussekine, is killed by the police force; Alain Devaquet resigns the following day and its project is abandoned the December 8th. The discredit which strikes the government then will not be without relationship with the failure of Jacques Chirac to presidential of 1988. To try to give one following the movement, UNEF-ID as UNEF-SE take part in the General states of higher education which were held in March 1987 with Saint-Denis.
With the beginning of the year 1990, the UNEF-ID starts to be competed with, electorally speaking, by regroupings of the associations coeds, mainly FAGE then PDE starting from 1994. Moreover, this period corresponds an increasingly strong politization of the UNEF-ID. Indeed, the passage of the majority of the UNEF-ID to the PS, running jospinist, involves an increasingly important politization of the trade union. The militants from now on mainly socialist copy their alliances and disagreements more and more on what occurs to the Socialist party. That has a disastrous effect for the trade union so much in term of image, because he from now on is regarded as a socialist dispensary, that in term of operation, because the imported controversies disturb the internal debates. One then witnesses a true cartellization of the trade union with a number increasingly more significant of tendencies and sensitivities sometimes directly imported PS.
But the debate is not limited to that. It is also posed in term of topicality. In 1990 - 1991, it is the Guerre of the Gulf which divides the campuses. Indeed, if the UNEF-SE and some members of the left wing of the UNEF-ID decide clearly against the war, the majority of the UNEF-ID adopts a more ambiguous position. This studied trade union defends a line " then; neither Bush nor Saddam ".
From the teaching point of view, it is the reform suggested in February 1992 by the national Minister for Education, Lionel Jospin which dominates the debates. This one in particular envisages to concentrate the DEUG. One must pass from forty diplomas corresponding to matters specific to eleven multidisciplinary DEUG. The latter would be composed of capitalizable modules, i.e. which one could preserve the benefit of a note superior at the average in the event of redoubling. It is also planned to define a minimum number of students per die (100 in DEUG, 40 in license and 30 in control) like limiting to only one the redoubling in license and control. The UNEF-SE is opposed immediately to this reform and takes part in a movement largely dominated by the independent ones. Of dimensioned sound, the UNEF-ID is divided. The left wing calls with the strike while the others preach prudence proposing the positive aspects of the private bill (multidisciplinary DEUG and capitalization). At the end of March, vis-a-vis a movement which lasts and which are radicalized, the direction of the UNEF-ID takes the initiative to create the second coordination known as " Unit coordination of province". The latter calls with negotiations on the contestable points of the reform, whereas it first (directed in particular by the UNEF-SE and of independent) request the pure withdrawal and simple of the text. At the beginning of April, the government changes and Jack Lang, new Minister for State education, announces the " suspension" text.
In-house with UNEF-ID, the crisis swells. Divisions on the movement come to be added to the problems of political independence and the electoral retreat. Beginning 1993, the left wing of the majority, carried out by the general secretary Emmanuelle Paradise and the treasurer David Rousset makes secession and created the Tendance independence and action. This new tendency manages to crystallize around it all the oppositions in the majority. Also, the congress of Clermont-Ferrand proves to be difficult, majority and oppositions are with the neck and neck. An agreement of management makes it possible to avoid the scission. But this congress, difficult and tended, does not regulate the dispute on the bottom. He announces one year of internal confrontation leading to the inversion of the majority to the congress of 1994.
1994-1995: the turning
In 1994, the two UNEF fight together against the Contrat of professional insertion, known as " SMIC jeune" proposed by the government of Edouard Balladur.
With UNEF-ID, the crisis continues until the congress of Paris held in December 1994. At this meeting, the Tendency independence and democracy (TID), which federates the majority of the forces of oppositions, allied with the Tendance to rebuild, rocardienne, shift majority incarnated in the Tendance for a confederation of provided education for youth, considered near to Jean-Christophe Cambadélis. Pouria Amirshahi, directing TID, is elected president of the student trade union. The new leadership team, to which it belongs, is then dominated by close relations of the Gauche Socialist.
Quickly, the UNEF-ID takes again its progression vis-a-vis FAGE and with PDE, whereas the UNEF-Solidarity coed is surbedded. In its reorganization, it is helped by the movement of Grève successful of 1995 for additional means at the university, which left the Campus of Rouen then of Metz and extends quickly to the worldwide. The studied movement will be joined shortly after by the movement of paid against the reform of the Social security of Alain Juppe. In 1996, the UNEF-ID finds its leadership in the student world which it will not release any more.
However, of strong tensions during the movement studied 1995 burst between the direction of the UNEF-ID and national coordination coed. Taking left for the second, the direction of the UNEF-ID of Montpellier-III is excluded and creates the unit and laic Syndicat studied.
A group in Lille also locally organized Unef-id on Maoists bases and will influence then various movements.
From 2001 to our days: after reunification
2001-2005: the UNEF continues its development
June 24th 2001, a general meeting of “reunification of the studied trade unionism” is held, and leads to the fusion of the UNEF-ID and part of UNEF-SE, under the name UNEF . This new organization thus takes again the denomination former to 1971. It is the result of a process begun one year earlier with the presentation of a joint list for the CNESER. Some local trade unions of Southern Studying and OLD UNEF known as SE directed by members of the LCR had already joined the UNEF-ID at the time of the congress of Paris which had taken place at the beginning of May. They mainly reinforced the tendency trotskist of the UNEF-ID which then changes its name of Tendance Unit and Democracy (TUD) into Tendance All together (TTE).
After this reunification, new the UNEF preserves the place of first organization coed within CNESER (National council of higher education and research) and of the CNOUS which the UNEF-ID had, without progressing significantly at the time of the first elections according to the reunifaication. It will be necessary to await the second elections, two years pls late, to see achieved the goal of the reunification.
A majority of OLD of UNEF said sometimes SE however refused to take part in this process. As of June 2000, the UNEF Caen founded the Trade union federation coed, which is then joined by some others (Dijon, Bordeaux and, for one year only, Paris IV and Paris XII). The UGEM-UNEF (Montpellier) finishes as for it by joining Student CUS. The others disappear. The attempt of OLD of Evry and Lille to create a network UNEF trade-union Resistance is a fast failure.
In March 2003 one of the tendencies of the UNEF, the Trade-union Tendance leaves the UNEF to create the Confédération Coed ( Cé ). This divorce is carried out by Julie Coudry, old member of the national office of the UNEF and Sebastien Couderc, former elected official UNEF with the CNESER. The latter estimated to have noted a " radicalisation" UNEF since its reunification. The C created with the financial aid and logistics of the CFDT.
The UNEF continues its progression in however 2004. It improves its score and remains the first organization coed with 5 elected officials out of 8 with the CNOUS and 5 out of 11 with CNESER, in front of FAGE, PDE, the PLAIN , and the other organizations without national elected official (FSE, Studied CUS, Confédération Coed, EMF…).
New sets of themes are developed by the UNEF. At the end of 2004, the UNEF starts to recreate bonds with the trade-union organizations of employees. She joins FO Young people, CGT, FSU, CFTC and UNSA in order to inform the students paid on their rights. With the image of the partnership carried out between the semi-2003 Confederation coed and CFDT, it develops a guide for the students carrying out of seasonal work and develops several other guides with this occasion.
In 2005, the UNEF takes part in the movement to save research in France (Analyzes of the bill). State-generals of higher education were also organized, they led to specific proposals of modifications of the organization of higher education and research (10 building sites for the university of 3 million students)
The UNEF engages against the adoption of the European Constitutional treaty and invites the students to vote “not” with the referendum of May 29th, 2005. The treaty is finally rejected by 55% of the French, but nevertheless approved, according to a survey, by the majority of the students since 54% of between-them would have voted “yes”.
1 {{er}} with the December 4th 2005 is held the 79e Congrès of the UNEF with Rheims. A tendency has a vast majority then, which stabilizes the organization. The results of the vote of the members are the following:
- National Majority and Social transformation: 83,04%
- Tendency all together: 9,95%
- Tendency trade-union recasting: 7,01%
2006
Victoire against the Contract First Engages
As of the advertisement of the Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin the January 16th 2006, the UNEF is mobilized to obtain the withdrawal of the project of Contrat First Engages. It is on the initiative of the first meeting of inter-union gathering twelve wage earners associations, of students and high-school pupils.
It carries out, with other student trade unions, the mobilization which leads to the withdrawal of CPE announced the 3 April 2006 by Dominique de Villepin
In March 2006, while many universities were blocked or disturbed by the mobilization against the CPE, gouvernenent it selected to maintain the elections to the CROUS. The UNEF then affirms to have been victim of a blackmail of the Minister for the education which would have required a stop of the mobilization against the CPE in exchange of the carryforward of the elections. The UNEF chooses to give the priority to the movement against the CPE and calls with the boycott of the elections to the Boards of directors of the CROUS, that the selected Minister for education, Gilles de Robien to maintain. This maintenance is criticized by the UNEF, asserting difficulty of organizing elections whereas the majority of the universities are closed, blocked, or disturbed. Thus, the elections saw many attempts at fraud (stuffings or flights of ballot boxes, as with Montpellier, Nancy, Tours, Poitiers, Nanterre).
Victoire with the CNESER 2006
At the time of the elections of the student representatives to the CNESER, whose examination the 13 July 2006 takes place, the UNEF increases its number of voices and reached its best score ever obtained. (1926 expressed)
Demolished with the CNOUS 2006
However, at the time of the elections of the student representatives to the CNOUS, whose examination the 30 May 2006 takes place, the UNEF records its worse result then.
(182 expressed)
2007
The OLD one of Clermont-Ferrand, Paris IV and Mulhouse make scission:
- in Clermont-Ferrand, the majority of the militants and the student elected officials recreate practical AGEC by denouncing some within the UNEF Clermont (" refusal of the charter of Amiens, inactivity, sectarianism… "). This crisis would have been caused by the influence within the local direction of the sector young people of the LCR and the interference of the National office in support for its official local direction.
- the OLD one of Paris IV, one of only to have kept legal continuity with old OLD of UNEF sometimes said SE, becomes again the AGEPS (General association of the students of Paris-Sorbonne). Stripped, the UNEF cannot introduce candidates to the elections coeds of March 13rd, 2007, which had never sometimes happened since the decision of the UNEF-ID to take part in the elections in 1982. The AGEPS gains these elections with a score higher than that obtained in March 2005 (of 37% of the voices in 2005 to 42% in 2007), when it still formed part of the UNEF
- the OLD one of Mulhouse joined the Confederation coed.
the Congress of Lille
A thousand of people meet in Lille from March 22nd to 25th for the 80e National congress of the UNEF, which is being the Congress of the centenary. With this occasion the organization celebrates the centenary of its creation in the presence of many old whose Lionel Jospin, Clémentine Autain, Isabelle Thomas, etc the UNEF also challenges the candidates with the presidential election (Marie-George Buffet, Olivier Besancenot, Dominique Voynet and Ségolène Royal intervene in particular in front of the student delegates of the congress).
TUUD (Tendency for a unit and democratic UNEF) replaces the Tendance all together.
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