Transforming Social Dialogue to Foster the Ecological Bifurcation

This article explores the idea that a possible commitment to an ecological bifurcation requires the coupling of political democracy and social democracy. This recourse to social dialogue is doubly paradoxical. On the one hand, it is very unevenly developed, and on the whole, has been weakened since the 1970s. On the other hand, unions mainly voice the concerns of workers faced with the threat of job losses and impoverishment arising from both the manifestations of the ecological crisis and the measures designed to respond to it. However, the mobilisation of social democracy is essential if all stakeholders, and workers in particular, are to be involved. We set out to show that this requires a broadening and renewal of social dialogue. The argument proceeds in four stages. First, we look back at current difficulties, to show that the aim is in fact to establish a new social contract to replace the one defined and implemented during the Fordist era. We then examine how ecological issues and players are currently being introduced into the existing social dialogue in France and Europe, and show that this process is not up to the challenge. Thirdly, a theoretical perspective is introduced which broadend the discussion by focusing on the "real freedom" of workers and the old and new forms of scarcity facing our societies. Finally, we return to the subject of social dialogue, examining the major transformations that are needed if the emancipation of workers and the ecological transition are to be mutually supportive.