French unions support US colleagues

A European works council has started a campaign in support of trade unionists in the US after a delegation of French trade unionists revealed anti-union practices in a US subsidiary.

The European works council is in the French retail group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, which employs 110,000 people worldwide. Alerted to reports that management at two of the distribution sites in a US subsidiary, Brylane, was conducting a fierce anti-union campaign, the French unions sent over a delegation.

Local management was deeply hostile but the delegation was able to confirm both the very poor working conditions and the fact that management was trying to avoid recognising the union.