Abstract
In France, trade unions were legalised in 1884, but developed very slowly. Trade unions have never enjoyed phenomenal support in France as in the post-war period approximately 35% of workers belonged to a trade union as opposed to a mere 8-9% nowadays, which is by far the lowest proportion amongst the highly industrialised countries.
It has been noticed that since the 1970s there has been a drastic and significant drop in trade union support. It is also true that trade unions in most other European countries have suffered a decline in support and effectiveness, but the French case is most striking. Despite the difficulties arising from the contemporary situation of French society making it problematic for trade unions to find the required support, they still manage to be influential in certain fields and at particular moments of crises.
