André Renard (Valenciennes 25 May 1911 - Seraing 20 July 1962), was the leader of an important tendency in the Walloon tradeunionism
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During the World War II, a left-wing syndicalist faction grew up in the underground labour movement, opposed to close ties with any political parties [1] André Renard was the leader of this faction. He gives his name to the Renardism which is also, both ideologically and pragmatically, the programm of the most important part of the Walloon Movement since the general strike of the winter of 1960-1961 in Wallonia. This strike was managed by the General Federation of Belgian Labour, at least its Walloon components.
In July 1950, Léopold III of Belgium came back to Belgium. On his return to Belgium in 1950, he was met with the General strike against Leopold III of Belgium. As Secretary-General of the General Federation of Belgian Labour, Renard made this statement for Le Soir: From today , the words insurrection and revolution will have for us a practical sense. We will use them in our daily life vocabulary. [2]
André Renard was member of the Consultative Committee, similar, in the European Coal and Steel Community, to the Economic and Social Committee. He was even president of this Committee (1954–1955). By 1955, he tried to push for more social and economical competences for the Committee (prices and wage setting, investment...) in the field of social harmonization in general. But he failed.[3]
He was the leader of the 1960-1961 Winter General Strike. During the strike he claimed the strike were : “For a Walloon Wallonia: against the Loi Unique: against the misery in Borinage: against the oppression of unitary government: against the Flemish Government: against the murderers of the Walloon people.” (The Times, January 10, 1961).[4]