Is better be indoors to put our positions

17 Last December by a snow day, the business world is stunned when the blood of agri-food industry, which make their membership card at the Medef, on the grounds of inadequate services. A few kilometres from there, avenue de Wagram, the Union of industries and professions of metallurgy (UIMM), first financial contributor of the Medef and the 45,000 business empire extends from automotive to nuclear power, Aeronautics and rail (see below), see the "opt out" from a different angle. While the metallurgy had to get back in game number of mandates after "case" of about 20 million euros of cash distributed over the years to "facilitate social dialogue", the departure of the food industry releases key of the chairmanship of the social protection Committee post. "We did nothing asked", enjoys to emphasize the UIMM. And for good reason: "There was no alternative", recognizes then with the employers ' organisation. The UIMM also made a month earlier that his period of penitence had enough lasted: on 19 November, she decided in meeting of bureau of lead in its traditional convention of March, "an analysis of background on what must be the interprofessional organization representing us"-i.e. the Medef. Laurence Parisot may qualify the initiative to "excellent". On 18 January, she proposed to its Executive Board to appoint Jean-François Pilliard, General delegate of the UIMM, Chairman of the social protection Committee. The position is everything except honorary: as such, it is him who will defend the management positions on the reform of pensions by Nicolas Sarkozy. "We are absolutely not animated by a spirit of revenge, it is not relevant to" assure the organization. On the evening of this appointment symbol, the UIMM but wished to point out that it retains to the Medef "its full strategic independence."

The resources for its ambitions

"The crisis do an opportunity", launched the UIMM as cover for his first annual report of activity last year, first physical act of the "new UIMM." 56, Avenue de Wagram, in the 17earrondissement of Paris, it is always a facade without plate, a grid and a sas of security that await the visitor. Metallurgy requires, the hall of the 1950s the endorsement, oscillating between black and anthracite steel décor. Go look for the symbol of the "new" UIMM at the bottom of the Court: offices "without partition" which will assure, soon generalized to the entire building. But the Organization has in fact today the most comprehensive accounts of the French employers. And if its President, Frederic Saint-Geours, Director of strategy and Finance of PSA, is only one or two times per month to the UIMM, Jean-François Pilliard, in tandem with the Secretary General Jean-Pierre Fine, instilled a culture of business - seminar of Directors, annual objectives - inherited from his years of HRD in Schneider. "The employers are in contact with the State and companies but we are sympathetic yet too specific to the State of management practices." "We would develop a culture of the result," explains.

The economic crisis, the Union of industries of metallurgy is another opportunity. The UIMM insists that a doctrine: the service to its members. Beyond its traditional social expertise related to his battalion of lawyers, she begins to conquer new fields, developing partnerships with some federations, including the issues of environment but mostly industrial policy. The chemical industry, metallurgy and their trade unions sent Nicolas Sarkozy a joint letter to their vision of industrial policy. The head of State can only be sensitive: "Give priority to the industry at the time where the grip of finance is tightened, this is the meaning of economic policy that I want to drive", explained in his speech in Toulon in September 2008. Thus, the crisis gave a voice to the entire industry, keep passing some representatives in the meetings of the Medef. Supported by the chemistry and metallurgy, the Group of the industrial federations (GFI), "holding" her hair all industrial branches, rushes into the breach, taking advantage of economic policy debates up range: tax carbon, but also, more new, the mode of financing of social protection or the "conditionality" of the aid to businesses, noting for example that reductions of charges on low salaries do not primarily benefit industrywhich pays better than services. On April 1, the GFI, which redefined Friday its strategy in Board of Directors, will join the head of the Medef, sign for Laurence Parisot that there is no mistrust of industry. "Is better be indoors to put our positions." And it will allow us to monitor the GPS! Editor's note services ", fun rather Thierry

The UIMM, it is also one of its strengths, has the financial means to its ambitions, particularly through its pool of 500 million euros from funds antigrève. Two endowment funds are therefore to be created, one for inserting (EUR 70 million over five years), another innovation (EUR 20 million). "It's a reconquest of the land," judge a trade unionist. A "think tank" is also in the process of creation, and 6 million over three years will be devoted to a communication campaign. The change of name which had been referred after "crisis" as they called the case internally is even more the order of the day. "It's almost a mark", judge on at Headquarters.

The strategy of the UIMM is however not without a few weaknesses. The industry first, goes wrong. "The impact of the crisis questioned the model of the French industry adjustment." "The productivity gains being exhausted, other forms of adaptation are innovation or organization changes take time to be put in place," analysis Gilles Le Blanc, Director of a laboratory of industrial and economy to facilitate the work of the UIC (chemical industry) and the UIMM. Some partnerships announced of the UIMM with its federations (sharing of premises and common services) can be read also as budgetary support to vulnerable organizations.

Sacrificial spirit

Socially, the UIMM changed foot with its trade unions. "Since the arrival of the tandem Pilliard-Saint-Geours, we are considered in our place and we have participated in a social agenda which we are rather satisfied", explains Philippe Martinez, Secretary General of the CGT-metallurgy Federation. "There was a sharp change in relations with trade unions, with equal treatment of everyone and therefore a more consistent with the representation must be", said Dominique Gillier, Secretary General of the CFDT-metallurgy. Before the crisis, the UIMM signed first with FO, the GSC and the CFTC. "The UIMM prepare social game that will result from the reform of representation," says an actor. In other words the less powerful unions weaken. But this repositioning creates tensions: in January, the CFDT was only ready to sign an agreement on the minimum wage for engineers. An unprecedented situation interpreted by some as a wake-up call of the GSC and the CFTC. "It has not begun a negotiation that the CFDT has the pen in hand", openly criticized Joseph Crespo, CFTC-metallurgy. The UIMM had to withdraw its text.

The judicial calendar related to "the case" appears, less threatening. After the recent searches in student organizations and unions of employees, the UIMM won a channel with the recharacterization of the persons in simple assisted by witnesses. And yet, it was that "to allow us to have access to the folder", explains to the UIMM.

The next step in the reconstruction of the UIMM and forces with Medef's report will be March 18 agreement, for which the metallurgy created expectations beyond perhaps his own ambition. "For the moment, we gather the material." "We will give a timetable and a method", began on in temper. Because, to four months of the election (read page 2), the requirements of the UIMM will be high and it will then be incongruous to not present candidate at the head of the Medef to respond, or it will opt for a status quo which disappoint the reformers. In preparation for his appointment, the UIMM went to investigate the employers organisations in Europe and, on the record of the employer representative is reluctant to open the Medef, the UIMM consults and receives: "small" social economy a few months ago, the CGPME next month.

An opponent of Laurence Parisot already likes to imagine a "theory of the Flowerpot", where the Medef would no longer only an instance certainly interprofessional, but with less than average, services and industry with each more autonomy. "Parisian Psychodrama is not reasonable." "We represent companies: with what project, what issue, this is the issues", it annoys the UIMM. But by explaining, in "Le Figaro" a few days ago, "the UIMM is assistance to everyone business" while emphasizing "I do not say you that it is easy every day", Frederic Saint-Geours disdains not cultivating the spirit of responsibility and concern for the general interest, let pass a point of sacrificial spirit. As the image moves from "discreet" to "dull" or "funny" according to the will be a priori not candidate against Laurence Parisot: he is "only" senior and is committed to working with his group. But the image of good student of the UIMM begins to bother to Medef. And Laurence Parisot does not intend to let dictate its conduct.