After World War II and the proclamation of the Republic, former members of the union followed the guidelines of the Federazione Anarchica Italiana that called for the creation of a unitary movement, and joined the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL).
Autogestione servizi SPI, an Italian association for the self-employed formally associated with the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL)
Initially an employee for the Milan's Pirelli and a member of CGIL, Cofferati rose up in the major Italian trade union, becoming leader of Filcea (the chemical labour wing of CGIL) in 1988, and leader of the CGIL itself in 1990, succeeding Bruno Trentin.