6 the previous time they increased from 26

For the Medef, the case was heard. Agrarian 2008 elections would result in a fiasco. A hear Laurence Parisot a few hours before the opening of the polling stations, ballot is announced as a great "mess" and the Government would be a true "responsibility" in the new lower expected turnout.

Indeed, complained the Medef and its alter ego, the CGPME, the rules of the game changed so to register on the electoral college "employers" that the number of voters has melted by 20 from the previous edition of 2002. In short, there was nothing to wait, or not much of this deadline.

Or is it finally happened, on 3 December, labour representatives to the labor Unlike employees, who have shunned the polling booths, business leaders voted more than in the past. While employee participation rate fell to 25.5 (32.6 the previous time), they increased from 26.6 to 31,15. The management results, they escaped to the general public, more sensitive, as it must, to the comparative performance of unions of employees. The 2008 vintage is yet lessons for organizations who hate compete with each other. Thus, the Medef, CGPME, UPA (Artisan), UNAPL (liberal professions) and the FNSEA (farmers), advancing in tight on common lists, anywhere in the France, ranks have lost about 8 points at the national level. Their candidates, who ran under the banner of the Union for the rights of employers (DEU), got 72,09 of the vote, compared to 80 in 2002.

A decline that did not fail to note the Secretary General of the CGT, Bernard Thibault, for the less exceeded by the employers attitude in the debate in recent months on the representativeness. Last spring, indeed, the three organizations recognized by the public authorities Medef, CGPME and UPA have led, if not orchestrated, interprofessional bargaining intended to reshuffle the Union landscape maps, while refusing stubbornly, the UPA set apart, to ask the question of their own representation.

In fact, the strong decline registered in the tribunals by the DEU list confirms an interesting phenomenon: the breakthrough of what he termed "social economy". There under the name of associations, cooperatives, mutual societies and foundations working in the fields of health, insurance, Bank, agriculture, transportation, distribution, services to the person, culture, sport...

Structures employing in total, nearly 2 million employees. More than the UIMM (Union of the metal trades industries), largest Federation Medef! The Association of employers in the social economy (eyes) saw his score from 11,29 in 2002 to 19,05 in 2008. It was, it is true, half more lists and twice more candidates. Result, where she was present, the eyes reached unexpected 34.4 score! And the number of members is, in total, at 467. From 279 in 2002. And 23 in 1997...

The Medef and CGPME see a non-event, Laurence Parisot and Jean-François Roubaud, their respective Presidents, will now have more evil than in the past to deal with the social economy as the minimum portion. And to deny him a Chair at the negotiation tables, on the ground that it is not "real" business, or that it arises in "activities". That the eyes said "near" doctrine "médéfienne", despite the small music she heard here or on securing where professional paths, for example.

The ball is now in the Government camp. After the earthquake of the UIMM case, which has been losing part of its credibility in an employers trying painfully extricate of the scandal, and then that approach the reform of the economic and social Council, the Minister of labour, Xavier Bertrand, should not be surprised again knock on his door of reinforced economic actors, undoubtedly, by the 3 December elections.