The creation of an interprofessional union right would strengthen the presence in the territories of union delegates, which would be intended to take charge of the work of supporting defense and the collective organization of employees without union at their workplace.
The problem
The transformations of capitalism contributed to a bursting of the productive fabric. The presence of trade union organizations at workplaces is very uneven. Only 42% of companies with more than 50 employees have union representatives, and in the smallest companies, their presence is even more marginal. This disparate establishment of unions is a major factor in inequality between employees. The union presence plays an engine role in the proper application of labor law, the organization of salary negotiations and the prevention of professional risks. In the absence of a union, small businesses are thus hampered in access to their rights. This situation is all the more damaging than a large part of workers and employees, exposed to painful working conditions and subject to low remuneration, is now concentrated in the world of these small businesses.
In small establishments that are based on strong interpersonal links, it is more complicated for an employee to take the initiative to create a union, especially since the directions are generally very hostile (Giraud, Signoretto, 2023). The implementation of unions is also made there difficult by the method of allocating the right to union. The funding, delegation hours and employees made available to unions are in fact essentially allocated in exchange for their participation in the joint and collective negotiation systems, in branches or businesses. These rules therefore have the effect of concentrating the institutional resources of unions where they are present and where employers consider having the means to contribute to the “ social dialogue ». Union confederations certainly have territorial structures “ close “, Whether professional or interprofessional. But they operate with very constrained means, which concretely hinder the capacity of unions in their vocation to help all employees to assert their individual and collective rights.
The proposal
To strengthen the capacity of unions to go to the front of employees without union representatives, institute a real interprofessional union right around a mandate as a union organizer, designed as an increased version of the employee’s advisor, whose vocation is limited to supporting employees in the event of the termination of employment contract.
How does it work
In each department, the mandate of union organizer would be awarded by each of the representative organizations to activists designated by them. It would be accompanied by freedom of access to establishments and projects without union representatives, which would allow unions to extend their presence with employees who need it most, especially in the network of TPE–SME subcontracting. Unlike the employee’s adviser, who constitutes an appeal for employees deprived of staff representative bodies only within the framework of an interview procedure prior to a dismissal or contractual termination (Ferrette, 2010), the union organizer would have a capacity of initiative such as the organization of information meetings for staff. It would thus strengthen the capacity of the unions to go to meet employees to inform them of their rights, help them organize and support them in the management of their first mandates of representatives. This union mandate, remunerated as working time, would be funded by the contribution indexed to the payroll that all companies already pay to the national joint for social democracy, which would guarantee that all companies contribute to their means to the exercise of social citizenship (Julliard, Yon, 2025).
On what research work is the proposal founded ?
– Baptiste Giraud, Camille Signoretto (dir.), A wage compromise in crisis. What remains to negotiate in companies ?Editions du Croquant, 2023.
– Nicolas Farvaque, “ Employees of SME : a specificity of social relations to a particular relationship to industrial tribunal ? “, Review of theIresn ° 66, 2010
– Jean Ferrette, “ Beyond direct action and institutionalization, employee advisers “, Work and employmentn ° 122 (2), 2010, p. 53-63.
– Émilien Julliard, Karel Yon (dir.), The finances of unionismPresses Universitaires du Septentrion, 2025.
– Maria Teresa Pignoni, “ Employee representation bodies in companies », Dares Results, 2023, n ° 32
How to implement ?
This new provision could be integrated under a bill focused on strengthening union rights and being the subject of prior negotiation between social partners.