The union was founded in 1920 as the "National Federation of Workers in the Building Industries of France and the Colonies", bringing together the federations of masons, stone workers, painters, carpenters, and joiners.
Like its predecessors, the union affiliated to the General Confederation of Labour (CGT).
[1] In 1921, the union left the CGT, and affiliated to the new United General Confederation of Labour.
In 1923, the National Federation of Public Works merged in, and by 1929, the union had the lengthy official name of the "National Federation of Workers in the Construction Industry, Public Works and Building Materials of France and the Colonies".
[1] In the split of 1948, the majority of the union remained loyal to the CGT, with only a minority led by Louis Fréour leaving to form the Workers' Force affiliate, the Federation of Building and Wood.