«Docile trade unions?»: a new book by Baptiste Giraud

How does the development of social dialogue affect trade union practices? In his new book, Baptiste Giraud analyses the changes in trade unionism within companies and the way in which trade unionists adapt to — or resist — the institutional roles assigned to them.

The impact of social dialogue on trade unionism

Published by Lyon University Press, in the «Class Actions» series, Docile trade unions? The impact of social dialogue on trade unionism provides an analysis of the changes in French trade unionism.

The promotion of social dialogue within companies is akin to a political endeavour to transform the French trade union movement, with the aim of assigning it a role: that of a social partner which always favours dialogue over confrontation, supports employers’ policies and acts as a conduit for managerial decisions.

In fact, the institutional integration of trade unions has strengthened considerably at company level, whilst strikes have lost some of their momentum. But have these arrangements actually turned trade unionists into compliant mouthpieces for management? To what extent do they conform to the role prescribed for them? How, on the other hand, can they resist it? How do the effects of the transformation in the ways in which trade unionists are socialised as activists, and the contexts of their involvement, influence the way in which they adapt to their institutional roles?

To demonstrate this, this book draws on field research carried out in companies across a range of sectors, revealing – far from caricatures – the variety of ways in which employers utilise social dialogue mechanisms and the effects this has on trade union practices.

Reference

Baptiste Giraud, Docile trade unions? The impact of social dialogue on trade unionism, Presses universitaires de Lyon, «Collective Action» series, 2026.

Find out more about the book on the Presses universitaires de Lyon website