Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, Columnist

Why Macron Doesn't Fear France's Unions

Traditionally united against any reforms, France's unions are now less radical and more divided.

September 14, 2017 at 9:36 AM UTC

By Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a Paris-based writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Not the threat they once were.
Photographer: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

The first street protests against Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labor-market reforms have been underwhelming. Several major unions stayed away. Estimates of the turnout varied -- from 223,000, according to fairly reliable police figures, to 500,000, according to the CGT, France's biggest union, which called for the march. Whatever the real number, French unions are divided, and this helps Macron’s reform efforts.

This is unusual. France's unions are traditionally a united front against pro-market reforms of any kind, especially labor-market reforms. Despite a history of radicalism, Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the Force Ouvriere (FO), has all but endorsed the bill, while criticizing it. The moderate CFDT union, which most observers expect to eventually support the bill, has not yet taken an official stance, saying it is still studying the matter. Meanwhile CFE-CGC, usually a moderate union, has denounced the bill in terms more fitting for a far-left tract. What’s going on?