French trade unions.
French trade unions have found themselves at the centre of a continuing and powerful social movement against the labour reform proposed by the government under President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls. However, the strong opposition is not just driven by the content of the reform but also by the power struggle among trade unions which are now split into 'reformist' and 'non-reformist' camps.
The division between trade unions is likely to lead to a radicalisation of the non-reformist unions with violent strikes continuing.
The government will be held responsible for the lock-down, which will weaken Hollande's re-election bid further.
The labour reform dispute could relegitimise non-reformist trade unions in the long term, complicating future reform attempts.
