France: a union wasteland

International audienceIn France, since the 1920s, there has never been such a small proportion of workers who are members of a union: less than one in ten. Twenty years ago they were nearly three in ten. How can we explain this evident "désyndicalisation" (deunionisation) ? Three groups of factors can be highlighted. Firstly, the general situation of the French economy and society: the recession, unemployment and the political situation. Secondly, some factors are inherent to trade unions. During the last 25 years, the French "plant-level trade-unionism" has weakened, the networking of factories and offices by shop stewards has disappeared. Extreme fragmentation, divisions and politicization have led to a loss of credibility and to increasing unpopularity. Thirdly, organisational modifications have played a major part: the authoritarian regrouping of unions, the disappearance of representation by categories in the headquarters, the instability and disorganization have important repercussions on union membership.Il n'y a jamais eu aussi peu de syndiqués en France : moins de 10% contre près de 30% il y a vingt ans. Comment expliquer cette "désyndicalisation" ? Trois séries d'explications sont examinées. En premier lieu, les explications générales : la crise économique et le chômage, la situation politique. En second lieu, des explications propres au mouvement syndical : la disparition du "syndicalisme à la française" qui se caractérisait par la présence sur les lieux de travail de noyaux militants ; la division et la politisation du mouvement syndical. Troisièmement, certains facteurs organisationnels ont joué un grand rôle : regroupements autoritaires de syndicats, modification de la représentation catégorielle, instabilité des structures