An Exemplary Legal Battle against Union Discrimination at the Peugeot-Sochaux Plant (1995-2000)

‪The end of the 1990s will be remembered for the protracted legal battle between blue-collar CGT (‪ ‪Confederation generale du travail‪ ‪ – General Confederation of Labour) union members and the management of the Peugeot-Sochaux car assembly site (PSA group). A group of CGT-affiliated skilled workers wishing to expose a history of discrimination against trade union members finally decided to take legal action against the PSA management. Assisted by legal experts and lawyers dedicated to their cause, and after a series of initial legal proceedings via the usual channels, the scope and jurisdiction of the initial claim was extended and the group succeeded in proving the existence of systemic intentional discrimination towards union members. Not only would this successful outcome put an end to a policy of trade union repression spanning over three decades, it also threw fresh light on the relation between career advancement (or lack thereof) and union activity at local union level. Finally, this victory would serve as a model across the union movement as a whole.‪