A Sectorial Approach of Company-Level Agreements [1950-1980]

An analysis of agreements between labor & management in 7 industrial sectors in France during 1950-1980. While determinism is discounted, two factors shaping the development of collective bargaining at the industry & plant levels are identified: (1) cohesion of management groups within an industry; (2) unity of labor organizations. A distinction is made between two forms of bargaining: the first involves articulation of agreements signed at the industry & plant levels, & prevails in sectors with a strong oligopolistic tendency such as steel & petroleum; & the second involves the juxtaposition of the industry & plant levels of bargaining, & is dominant across industries (eg, in the metallurgy, chemical, & construction sectors). Based on this analysis, a typology of labor-management agreements in post-WWII France is formulated. 14 References. B. Convert