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Agostino Novella

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Agostino Novella
General Secretary of CGIL
In office
3 December 1957 – 24 March 1970
Preceded byGiuseppe Di Vittorio
Succeeded byLuciano Lama
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
25 June 1946 – 24 May 1972
ConstituencyGenoa
Personal details
Born(1905-12-14)14 December 1905
Genoa, Italy
Died14 September 1974(1974-09-14) (aged 68)
Rome, Italy
Political partyPSI (1920–1924)
PCdI (1924–1943)
PCI (1943–1974)
ProfessionTrade unionist, politician

Agostino Novella (28 September 1905 – 14 September 1974) was an Italian trade unionist and communist politician.

Biography

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Born in Genoa, Novella worked in a shoe factory, then was apprenticed as a blacksmith in his father's workshop. He joined the Socialist Youth Federation in 1920, becoming active in the anti-fascist movement, and by 1923 was serving on the federation's national committee. However, in 1924, he led the whole of the Genoa federation into the Communist Party of Italy (PCdI).[1]

In 1925, Novella undertook national service with the military, but he continued his political activities, and as a result spent time in military prison. He was discharged the following year, and became a leading supporter of Gramsci, serving on the central committee of the Italian Communist Youth Federation (FGCI). In November, he was sentenced to four years in prison in absentia, but he evaded capture until the middle of 1927. He was then imprisoned, being released in 1931 and exiled to France, where he became secretary of the FGCI. He undertook numerous missions for the group, also serving on the executive of the Communist Youth International, and studying at the Tolmačev School in Leningrad, and Sverdlov Communist University.[1]

Novella was arrested in 1942, but the Vichy regime was unaware of his true identity, and so he was soon released. In 1943, he managed to clandestinely re-enter Italy, and began organising an opposition group, from a base in Milan. From 1945, he served on the central committee of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), and in 1946, he was elected to the assembly of the Province of Genoa.[1]

Novella worked as the PCd'I's regional secretary for Liguria, then Lombardy, then from 1948 was the principal organiser of the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL). From 1955, he was the leader of the Federation of Metallurgical Workers, then in 1958, he was elected as general secretary of CGIL. CGIL grew under his leadership, and he was also appointed as president of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). However, he became critical of some tactics of the WFTU, and was replaced as its president in 1961. In 1970, CGIL voted to separate its leadership from that of the PCI; Novella chose to retain his position on the central committee of the party, and resigned as the federation's secretary. He stood down in 1972, his health worsening, and was made the party's president of international relations.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Novella, Agostino". Treccani. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Celeste Negarville
Secretary of the Italian Communist Youth Federation
1938–1940s
Succeeded by
Trade union offices
Preceded by General Secretary of the Italian Federation of Metalworkers
1955–1957
Succeeded by
Preceded by General Secretary of the Italian General Confederation of Labour
1957–1970
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the World Federation of Trade Unions
1959–1961
Succeeded by