Moderate union retains top spot

The French CFDT union confederation, generally seen as more moderate than its two main rivals, has retained its position as the confederation with the widest support in the private sector in France.

Based on a combination of votes cast in individual works council elections, a separate election for workers in very small companies (10 or fewer employees) and for workers in agriculture, the CFDT got 26.8% of the votes in this year’s results.

This was slightly up on the 26.4% it obtained in the last contest in 2017.

Its main rival, the more militant CGT, got 23.0%, a fall compared with the 24.9% it won in 2017.

The results are not just important in terms of prestige. They are also used when national agreements are voted on, with majority support required for an agreement to be accepted.