Question: How do unions work in France?

Got to be brief because I need to get to bed. But basically they are quite different because they are not large, apolitical organisations. Only about 8% of the French workforce is in a union, and people normally join due to their political affiliation. Many workplaces have multiple unions present, and so decisions are normally made by general assemblies, including non-members.

Many French firms (maybe all?) also have works councils, which have union representation on them.

Other people will know more I'm sure

Priests arbitrate between God and Man; unions arbitrate between capital and labour. This is universally applicable and both priests and unions are redundant.

julio27 wrote:

if it is to be compared with anything, the fight between the government and working class [read, French trade unions] resembles pretty much Thatcher against the miners in 1983/4...

French CGT is fighting for survival

http://www.angelfire.com/pop2/pkv/OATU.html

Schmoopie

Priests arbitrate between God and Man; unions arbitrate between capital and labour. This is universally applicable and both priests and unions are redundant.

Priests arbitrate between superstition, authority and exploitation

Unions dont arbitrate since arbitration includes authority. Unions merely execute the collective will of the workers. If a union claims authority over the workers it ceases to be a union

Unions dont arbitrate since arbitration includes authority. Unions merely execute the collective will of the workers. If a union claims authority over the workers it ceases to be a union

I don't know, arbitration and authority is the name of the game for trade unions. And if that last sentence is true, the vast, vast, vast majority of organizations in the world called unions aren't unions....

If people want to discuss the generalities of unions, can they start another thread (or better, find one of the numerous older threads on the topic and comment there)? This thread is specifically about how unions work in the French context..

Unions merely execute the collective will of the workers.

In an ideal world.

rooieravotr

I need in formation like this: http://libcom.org/forums/organise/france-reform-collective-bargaining-system-07012009. Specific info how it works. Not general analyses of why unions are not revolutionary etcetera, but specifics on unions , their ways of operating in France and their legal position. I know for certain that there has been a very useful Libcom article on unions, with France as an example with exacly the kind of stuff I am looking for. But I cannot find it it.

That's interesting, I had forgotten about that. I had a search and couldn't find it on libcom, perhaps try doing site search through google.

rooieravotr

I need in formation like this: http://libcom.org/forums/organise/france-reform-collective-bargaining-system-07012009. Specific info how it works. Not general analyses of why unions are not revolutionary etcetera, but specifics on unions , their ways of operating in France and their legal position. I know for certain that there has been a very useful Libcom article on unions, with France as an example with exacly the kind of stuff I am looking for. But I cannot find it it.

Mouvement Communiste wrote this analysis of the unions, but I fear it's not the kind of thing you're after as it is more a critique rather than legal specifics: https://libcom.org/library/unions-political-struggle-mouvement-communiste

This may be a bit out of date, but an old Solfed pamphlet on works councils has a case study on France based on info from one of the CNTs there: https://libcom.org/library/out-frying-pan-critical-look-works-councils#09