Grandi, Achille

GRANDI, ACHILLE. - Trade unionist and parliamentarian, b. at Como on 24 Aug. 1883, d. at Desio on 27 Sept. 1946.

A typographer by trade, from 1907 onward he took part, through study and apostolate, in organizing the nascent Catholic trade-union movement. After directing the Unione del lavoro of Como and establishing the Italian textile union, in 1919 he brought to life the so-called "white" Confederation, made up of the Catholic trade unions. He was one of the founders of the Italian Popular Party, for which he was elected deputy in 1919, 1921 and 1924, in the Como-Sondrio constituency. Having assumed in Nov. 1922 the direction of the Italian Confederation of Workers, he waged a fierce struggle against the abuses of the fascist trade-union monopoly. He took part in the parliamentary opposition action known as that of the Aventine. After the "white" Confederation was suppressed by the dictatorship, he returned to working as a typographer, while nevertheless taking part in clandestine anti-fascist activity, until, in July 1943, he was called by the Badoglio government to head, as government commissioner, the Confederation of Agricultural Workers. A convinced supporter of trade-union unity, in 1945, after the negotiations with the pre-fascist trade-union organizations concluded with the pact of Rome, he became general secretary of the Italian General Confederation of Labour as representative of the Christian-democratic current. At the same time he had founded and directed the Christian Associations of Italian Workers (v.). An ex-officio member of the central directorate of the Christian Democracy, a member of the National Council, he was elected deputy for the Milan constituency to the Constituent Assembly, of which he was also vice president.

Augusto Moreschini