The specifics of the French trade union movement

In an interview with Vincent Remy, the political scientist Dominique Andolfatto explains why French trade unionism has developed through protest, not negotiation. "One of the obstacles to negotiations is our interventionist fortress State and its elites sitting snugly in their certitudes. This State, which acts at its will, without consulting unions or intermediary bodies, does not encourage a form of trade unionism centred on professional questions. Some trade unionists who consider employers as class enemies turn to the State as soon as a problem arises in work relations, which further complicates things. They seek a political answer to professional questions. Thus, unlike in Germany and England, a powerful trade union movement has been put at a disadvantage in France."

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