Negotiating union careers to fight discrimination. Selective and minimalist appropriation of the law.

Summary Since the end of the 1990s, the right to non-discrimination by trade unions has been largely reinforced, whether in legislation or through judicial mobilization. In 2008, the law reforming trade union representativeness created an obligation for large companies to negotiate on the articulation of trade union and professional activity for companies with more than 300 employees. This article examines how these legal changes have effectively modified the situation of union representatives in companies. Four monographs of large companies shed light on the contrasting dynamics of the appropriation of the law, depending on the agreements on trade union rights and possible litigation. These monographs reveal a discrepancy between the union rights agreements negotiated for the most committed union representatives, and aimed at guaranteeing a salary increase equivalent to that of their professional group, and managerial practices in the field, marked by a stigmatization of local unionists and protest practices. The few measures for the recognition of skills acquired through union experience (VAES) are aimed less at recognizing union skills and responding to aspirations for career advancement than at facilitating the exercise of social dialogue by staff members.