Le devenir du syndicalisme français

French trade unions are at present undergoing a rapid process of disintegration and reorganization, according to Hubert Landier, in this short discussion of the reasons and consequences.
They are disintegrating because of the widening gulf between the head offices of the big unions and the active members, the loss of the “ideological glue” that once held them together, and the gap between the grassroots and the leadership.
At the same time, the efficiency and legitimacy of the head offices is being questioned, and this is leading to the growth of new trade union federations, such as the Union nationale des syndicats autonomes (UNSA) and the Union syndicale Solidaires (Group of Ten).
These developments raise questions about the way trade unions are financed, especially the principle of ” majority agreements” which in itself could contribute to a reorganization of French trade unions and their operating arrangements.