French rail workers split from CFDT

The 11,000-strong federation of rail workers within the French union confederation CFDT has voted to leave the organisation in protest at its position on pensions.

The majority in favour of leaving was very narrow, 50.16%, and certainly many will remain within the CFDT. But the vote taken earlier this month is another indication of the turbulence within the CFDT, following the decision of the leadership to back the government's plans on pensions in May. Most of the other confederations were opposed (see Labour Research June 2003, page 8).

Some estimates put the number leaving the CFDT overall at as high as 50,000 but the CFDT itself suggests that only 8,000 have left.

The confederation stated that it had 889,000 members in 2002, making it the largest union in membership terms. The CGT, the other large union confederation, states it has 650,000 members.

But membership is not the only way to judge union strength in France, where only some 9% of employees are union members. In the elections for lay members on industrial tribunals, an important test of support among employees, the CGT got 32.1% of the votes compared to only 25.1% for the CFDT.