Towards Autogestion in socialist France? The impact of industrial relations reform

Industrial relations reform (the ‘Auroux laws') represented a test case of the French Socialists’ intentions to bring about workers’ self‐management (autogestion). This article examines (1) the laws’ major provisions, (2) reactions by employer and worker groups, and (3) primary impacts of the reforms. The analysis argues that the Auroux laws do not challenge employers’ authority, and thus do not embody the principles of autogestion; rather, the laws attempt to modernise labour‐management relations by encouraging bargaining and providing workers a stronger institutional voice. The article concludes by explaining why the Socialists, once in power, abandoned autogestion as a governing principle.