Trade unions in France.

Abstract

In this beginning of the XXIst century, the trade unionism knows a paradoxical situation. On one hand, it is appearing as a central actor of the professional regulations and generating an abundant literature. On the other hand, all the countries know a slope of his affiliates for a decade. The mutations of the capitalism transform the sociological and cultural foundations of the trade unionism. Nevertheless, the crisis of the trade unionism is more important and more ancient in France where it is characterized by a serious and persistent weakness and by an extreme fragmentation of his organizations. But, in spite of an increasing difficulty to support and to renew his affiliates, the trade union forms differ according to the countries. They are influenced by the traditions and national experiences. In the international trade unionism, France plays a relatively singular score which putting in spatial and historical perspective to describe the first outlines. A brief presentation of the theories of the trade unionism makes clear that this diversity has influenced the way of theorizing the trade union fact. These approaches show up the specificities of the French case, the role plaid by the State, the peculiarities of his organization, the importance of his crisis of representation and his original participation both in the social dialogue and in the joint management as well as the new challenges that represent the transformations of the labor world and the European construction.