Nouvelles règles de représentativité syndicale et de négociation collective à la SNCF. Une réforme sous tension

The French National Train Administration SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) was the scene of a long labour conflict in 2010 and also one of the first major French firms to act out the new ?démocratie sociale? law, which redefines the rules of trade union recognition and collective bargaining. While exposing some of the limits of the reform, specifically conceived to favor dialogue over conflict, the event nevertheless did alter the landscape of railway sector trade unionism whose traditions are deeply embedded, obliging labour organizations and management to question traditional practices and innovate. The 20th August 2008 law which notably claims to ?modernize? labour-management relations has thus set out a new legal context in which actors are invited to find ways to do so. The present study begins by analyzing these structural changes and their consequences upon labour relations before focusing on the 2010 conflict. The event illustrates how difficult it is to introduce change, in the sense intended by this recent legislation and the labour and management organizations that supported it. The case study is useful for understanding current realities of labour relations within a major firm where they continue to play a major role.