Since the beginning of the dispute, they are the ones who lead the dance. The unions have succeeded in federating and massively mobilizing the French against the pension reform. A dynamic particularly welcomed by a renewed membership. Dominique Andolfatto*, professor of political science at the University of Burgundy and trade union specialist, takes stock for 20 minutes on this rising popularity and its long-term effects.
More than 10,000 more members of the CGT and the CFDT, 5,000 more for Force Ouvrière… The pension reform has boosted the number of members. Is this boost temporary?
These figures are not negligible, but the CFDT and the CGT claiming about 600,000 members each, this will not change the situation in terms of unionization rates in France. It is between 7 and 10%, depending on the source, one of the lowest in OECD countries. This progression is a first step in winning back employees. But it would take several tens of thousands of additional members to obtain a real evolution of the curves.
According to an Ifop poll carried out for the JDD on February 18, the unions appear as the best opposition to Emmanuel Macron “for 43% of the French”. However, they have not yet obtained the government’s retreat on this file. How to explain this contradiction?
The degree of confidence of the French vis-à-vis the unions has not really changed in recent years, if one refers to studies by Cevipof (Centre for political research at Sciences Po), for example. But the organizations have succeeded in bringing large numbers of them to the streets. In particular non-union forties or fifties who never demonstrated and did so for the first time. Because the unions have managed to federate the anger of the French.
Has trade union unity been one of the elements that has enabled the centrals to restore their image with the general public?
The French do not understand what distinguishes the unions and why they are divided. This time around, the organizations managed to build a pretty solid unit. Nobody tried to monopolize the trade union leadership, and everyone knew how to silence their differences. The fact that this movement is coherent and unitary has made it possible to attract many people to the streets. The unions have been all the more successful in uniting as the oppositions are at an impasse. Because there is not an opposition, but irreconcilable oppositions, of the extreme left and of the extreme right.
During this sequence, were the unions able to keep a distance from the political parties?
In France, there is always fear that the unions are only the voice of political parties which would guide them. This view is wrong. It has been a long time since they broke with the political parties and are fully autonomous.
Since its first five-year term, Emmanuel Macron seems to want to minimize the importance of trade unions. Does the episode you are experiencing show him that he was wrong?
The unions have been confronted with a president who has a somewhat narrow vision of what they are, and who considers these organizations archaic. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of tension between them. However, there was no break between the Macron government and the unions, the latter were regularly received at the Ministry of Labor. Moreover, if we compare this government to the previous one, we see that François Hollande certainly often consulted the unions, but that did not work either, nor prevented the mobilization against the El Khomri law.
The CFDT, which has often been considered the union most apt to compromise, has it changed gear?
Since the 1990s, the CFDT has never had an unequivocal attitude on pension reforms: sometimes it has been in firm opposition, sometimes favorable (as in 2019, where it supported the principle of a point-based retirement) . This time, she was hostile, because the slider of the reform could not be an age measure, according to her. It is unlikely that the solution to this conflict will come from a reverse course on his part.
The meeting with the unions on Wednesday turned into a fiasco. Is this the sign of a definitive blocking of the dialogue?
I won’t be so harsh. It was an attempt to resume dialogue. It was predictable that it would come to an end, after several weeks of clashes in the street. But it shows that politicians and unions can still talk to each other. Especially since we do not yet know the outcome of the history of this reform. Talking to each other is important in a democratic society.
How do you imagine the sequence of events on the pension file?
It is always difficult to do foresight in the social domain. In 2010, during the previous pension reform, there were 11 demonstrations. This Thursday was the 11th day of mobilization against that of the Macron government. Will the movement eventually die out as the government hopes? Difficult to say before the decision of the Constitutional Council on April 14. Everything can always bounce back.
Will this renewed dynamism of the unions give more weight to union delegates to obtain salary increases in companies?
This social movement will restore the confidence of union delegates and put them back in a position of strength. Especially since, in Germany or England, strike movements are taking place around the question of purchasing power. And that, in France, inflation has also fueled anger against the pension reform.
Isn’t union discrimination a brake on syndication rates?
This is not the cardinal cause of the low rate of syndication in France. Discrimination against trade union delegates is not systematic and tends to decline. Because, even if there are power struggles between the social partners, employers must co-construct labor law with their union delegates, negotiate agreements with them. They need them. An employer who discriminates on principle would be shooting himself in the foot.
Does the recent election of Sophie Binet at the head of the CGT mark a turning point with regard to the feminization of the centrals?
This is the first time that a woman has come to the head of the CGT. Even if there were other women who led trade unions (Nicole Notat at the CFDT, Carole Couvert at the CGC), her arrival can only give new colors to the movement and is also part of a marked period by neo-feminism. Sophie Binet is very interested in the issue of gender equality, she is fluent in speaking and can introduce a new style of management, less focused on power relations. She also belongs to a new generation of trade unionists. All its assets can contribute to reconciling part of public opinion with the unions.
How will the unions be able to bounce back after the sequence of retirements?
There are many other subjects around work: hardship, gender equality, remuneration, work/personal life balance, value sharing… Whatever the outcome of the pension file, the unions are not going to sit back. Especially since all the subjects I mention could have a retro-effect… on pensions.