Working in France - Representation of Workers

Staff delegates

If you are elected as a staff representative, your task is to:

• present to your employer all individual and collective demands by staff concerning pay, social protection, hygiene and safety;
• inform the labour inspectorate of all complaints and comments by staff (working conditions, paid leave, etc.);
• accompany the labour inspector when he/she visits the undertaking;
• report to the works council (where this exists) any suggestions and comments by the staff on matters relating to the running of the undertaking, employment conditions and work;
• communicate to the CHSCT (Committee on Health, Safety and Working Conditions) all suggestions and comments on matters under its responsibility.

If there is no such committee, you must perform the tasks entrusted to this committee.

You can also assist employees in the undertaking in the meeting prior to a disciplinary sanction or dismissal.

You can be consulted about the working conditions in the undertaking.

You will be informed and consulted before any redundancies are made.

In an undertaking with under 50 employees where there is no works council, you will be consulted about:

• fixing the period of paid leave;
• rules of procedure, organisation of working time, training leave and the undertaking’s training plan;
• redeployment of injured workers and employment of the disabled.

Trade union

Role of the trade union in the undertaking

• information (leaflets, posters);
• negotiating pre-electoral agreements before the election of delegates and members of the works council (WC);
• attendance at WC meetings in undertakings with under three hundred employees.

In undertakings with over three hundred employees, both a delegate and a trade union representative must attend.

Defence of employees’ interests

Shop stewards present employees’ demands to the employer.

They are skilled in defending employees with respect to working conditions (tough work, night work, protection of pregnant women and sexual harassment cases).

They can attend the meeting prior to a disciplinary sanction, if the employee so wishes.

They can also attend or even represent employees at the industrial tribunal.

Time credits for shop stewards:

• 10 hours/month per shop steward in undertakings of 50 to 150 employees;
• 15 hours/month per shop steward in undertakings of 151 to 500 employees;
• 20 hours/month per shop steward in undertakings of over 500 employees.

The central trade union shop steward has 20 hours per month which is added to this credit for performing other tasks.

In undertakings with under 50 employees, the staff representative designated as the shop steward benefits only from the time credit allocated to staff representatives.

Each trade union receives an additional global credit in order to prepare for the negotiating of a collective or company agreement.

Source: Service-Public.fr

For further information, contact:

• the staff representatives or a trade union organisation;
• the Departmental Directorate for Labour,
• Employment and Vocational Training (DDTEFP). 

Text last edited on: 01/09/2003 

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2005
Reproduction is authorised.