Several presidential candidates promised this Thursday to review or repeal the work orders, which in 2017 modified the rules of social dialogue, during a hearing at the CFDT headquarters in Paris.
The CFDT strongly denounced at the beginning of January the effects of these ordinances on the number and work of trade union representatives in companies, particularly castigating the merger of the bodies that had existed until then – staff representatives, health, safety and working conditions (CHSCT), works council – into one, the CSE.
LR wants to give “a central place” to trade union organizations
Representative of the right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse, Damien Abad promised that, if elected, she would give “a central and above all renewed place” to trade union organizations and more generally to intermediary bodies, which he considered “necessary, useful, essential “.
“Certainly, if we had been more attentive, we might not have had the same movement of yellow vests as the one we have known”, he assumed, denouncing a “very vertical presidency” and promising in the name of the candidate “a new pact”.
MP LR said he knew “that there are a number of difficulties on the issue of work orders”, and assured that Valérie Pécresse was ready to “look at some adjustments on this issue, to restore body and strength to social dialogue in France”.
LFI and the PCF for the repeal of the El Khomri law of 2016
Representative of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI), Eric Coquerel promised the repeal of the El Khomri law of 2016, and that of the work orders, which “weakened union representation”.
He particularly denounced the abolition of the CHSCTs, a measure which “showed all its stupidity” at the time of Covid-19, and regretted “the inversion of the hierarchy of standards” introduced by the El Khomri law. “We are for returning to a hierarchy of standards which starts from the law, and allows branch and company agreements, but on condition that they are (…) more advantageous for employees”. The communist Fabien Roussel, like Eric Coquerel, spoke out for the repeal of the El Khomri law and the Macron ordinances.
La France insoumise is in favor of an “amnesty” for union representatives who are the subject of legal proceedings or disciplinary measures in companies. She also wants to establish a “suspensive veto over the issue of layoffs”, and that employee representatives hold a third of the seats in the governing bodies of very large companies.
Hidalgo wants the return of the CHSCTs
Anne Hidalgo (PS) promised if she was elected to put the CHSCT back in place. Recalling that trade unionism was her “first commitment”, at the CFDT, when she was a labor inspector, she wanted the boards of directors of companies with more than a thousand employees to be made up of 50% employees.
Jadot in favor of “German codetermination”
As for the ecologist Yannick Jadot, he said he was in favor of a “German co-determination” with “over 2,000 employees, 50% of employees on the boards of directors”.
The Macron camp welcomes work orders
Representative of candidate Emmanuel Macron, the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand underlined for his part “the successes and the progress made”, welcoming that the work orders have given priority “to collective bargaining in companies and to the ‘majority agreement’.