Workers' participation and the French state, 1944-1948
This thesis explores attempts by state officials to enable workers and the principal trade union, the ConfĂ©dĂ©ration GĂ©nĂ©rate du Travail, to participate at the workplace and in the French state from 1944 to 1948. At a time of increased state intervention and new social welfare policies, workers gained new responsibilities in the comitĂ©s d'entreprises, or works councils. The regional government, the commissaires, helped to initiate worker control experiments, notably at the Berliet truck plant in Lyon. By the end of 1948, however, the strength of the French labour movement had not significantly increased, either at the workplace or in the state. In their demand for greater participation, workers faced resistance from state officials, employers and even unions. State actors, such as labour inspectors, prefects, and commissaires, actively sought social peace and greater productivity in 1944-1946. At the level of the shopfloor, the new comitĂ©s d'entreprises gave workers, for the first time, an official voice in the firm. However, they had no say over production decisions. Nor did worker participation extend to unskilled workers, immigrants, or women. Worker participation did not go further at the time for
Steinhouse, Adam
Labor policy ; Management ; Employee participation ; France
Workers' participation and the French state, 1944-1948. This thesis explores attempts by state officials to enable workers and the principal trade union, the ConfĂ©dĂ©ration GĂ©nĂ©rate du Travail, to participate at the workplace and in the French state from 1944 to 1948. At a time of increased state intervention and new social welfare policies, workers gained new responsibilities in the comitĂ©s d'entreprises, or works councils. The regional government, the commissaires, helped to initiate worker control experiments, notably at the Berliet truck plant in Lyon. By the end of 1948, however, the strength of the French labour movement had not significantly increased, either at the workplace or in the state. In their demand for greater participation, workers faced resistance from state officials, employers and even unions. State actors, such as labour inspectors, prefects, and commissaires, actively sought social peace and greater productivity in 1944-1946. At the level of the shopfloor, the new comitĂ©s d'entreprises gave workers, for the first time, an official voice in the firm. However, they had no say over production decisions. Nor did worker participation extend to unskilled workers, immigrants, or women. Worker participation did not go further at the time for
workers participation french state explores attempt state official enable worker principal trade_union ration rate participate workplace french state time increase state_intervention new social_welfare policy worker gain_new responsibility work council regional government help initiate worker control notably plant however strength french labour_movement significantly increase either workplace state demand great participation worker face resistance state official employer even union state actor labour actively seek social peace great productivity level new give worker first_time official voice firm however say production decision worker participation extend worker immigrant woman worker participation time