ASSOCIAZIONI CRISTIANE LAVORATORI ITALIANI (A.C.L.I.)
These are groupings of workers established with the aim of promoting the affirmation of Christian principles in life, in institutions, and in legislation, supplementing and supporting the work of trade unions in all matters beyond the specific tasks reserved to the unions themselves.
The emergence of the A.C.L.I. is linked to the unitary trade union agreement between the Christian and social-communist currents, formalized in the Rome Pact of 4 June 1944. Before Fascism, the Italian trade union landscape was divided between the "white" unions, under the Italian Confederation of Workers (C.I.L.), and the "red" unions, under the General Confederation of Labour (C.G.L.). Fascism suppressed both confederations in 1926 and replaced them with a single state-controlled union. At the fall of the totalitarian regime, veteran union leaders Achille Grandi (Christian Democrat), Bruno Buozzi (Socialist), and Giovanni Roveda (Communist) agreed to establish a unitary trade union organization in which workers could participate regardless of their religious or political beliefs.
Within Catholic circles, trade union unity was accepted as an experiment and a temporary necessity due to the shortage of Catholic union organizers compared to the abundance of Communist specialists. However, it was immediately understood that Catholic workers needed protection from the religious and moral dangers posed by coexistence in the union with atheist and materialist workers. Furthermore, since unions by their nature are limited to defending workers' economic interests, other needs—cultural, recreational, etc.—remained unmet. Hence the need for an organization to address these pre- and para-union requirements. Hon. Achille Grandi was the founder and first president.
Nevertheless, coexistence within the unitary union with Communists proved increasingly difficult for Christian workers. The breakdown of the unity pact, dramatically exposed by the attempted insurrectionary strike of 14–15 July 1948 in response to the attack on P. Togliatti, led to the withdrawal of the Christian current from the C.G.d.L. Consequently, the A.C.L.I. became the cornerstone of the new trade union organization. At the A.C.L.I. Congress of 13 September 1948, a decision was made to establish a free, democratic, and independent trade union, separate from political parties and the Government—a non-denominational or "white" union, as some desired. The A.C.L.I. retained their identity and function as an organization serving religious, moral, cultural, and recreational purposes for Christian workers, whether or not they were members of trade unions.
### Organization
The A.C.L.I. operate through two distinct organizational forms:
1. **Trade union organization**
2. **Workers' circles**
The trade union organization includes:
a) **Workplace nuclei**, which bring together all workers (male and female, including manual workers, technicians, and employees) from the same company, factory, office, farm, or other workplace;
b) **Municipal category groups**, which gather all members of a given trade within the same municipality, whether or not they are part of workplace nuclei;
c) **Provincial category groups**
d) **National category groups**
The secretaries of the category groups form the pre-union technical council, which can be established at municipal, provincial, and national levels.
The **circles** bring together workers from a specific area, regardless of trade. In principle, they have municipal halls, but where appropriate, they may also have neighborhood halls. Each circle includes a women’s section.
### Aims and Activities
In accordance with their statutory purpose, the A.C.L.I. engage in educational and uplifting activities in the religious, moral, social, and cultural spheres for their members. They strive to ensure that the Catholic faith and moral principles are openly and practically upheld in workplaces. They enhance workers’ technical and professional skills to improve their living conditions. They promote economic initiatives (such as cooperatives) and maintain their own welfare office (*v.*) for social assistance. They foster healthy recreational, artistic, sporting, and tourist activities. The A.C.L.I. carry out their work primarily through the circles.
They also prepare Christian workers for trade union life, playing a crucial and often decisive role in elections for internal commissions, trade union and political representation. When addressing issues—whether related to collective bargaining (such as wage increases or lifting layoffs) or broader worker interests (such as management councils, social security, insurance, the Marshall Plan, etc.)—the solutions are typically worked out within the A.C.L.I., and then supported by representatives of the Christian current within the trade union organization. The A.C.L.I. conduct their preparatory ("parasindacale") activities mainly within the category groups.
The central presidency publishes *Giornale dei lavoratori* in various editions tailored to different trades, the bulletin *Le A.C.L.I.*, and a journal, *Informazioni sindacali*.