The Economic and Trade Union Studies Committee (Comité d’études économiques et syndicales, CEES) was founded in January 1947 by unionists from the pre-war "Syndicat" faction of the CGT, led by René Belin.
[1] Despite some initial success, particularly among groups compromised during the Collaboration, the CEES was quickly eclipsed by the creation of Workers' Force (CGT-FO), which attracted most of the non-communist unionists.
The CGSI was formed by uniting former CEES members, activists from the Gaullist Action Ouvrière, and unions linked to the French Social Party (PSF).
[2] The CGSI's secretary-general was Sulpice Dewez, a former CGTU unionist and communist deputy who had voted to grant full powers to Philippe Pétain but later joined the French Resistance.
With support from Paris Police Prefect Jean Baylot, it began recruiting supervisory staff in automobile factories to counter the dominance of the CGT among workers.