Portuguese Workers and French Unions in the Area of Paris: an Attempt at the Interpretation of their situation

Abstract

In a former article, we have described the most significant aspects of the connection between Portuguese workers and french unions, namely in the area of Paris. Although belonging to the labour class in France, Portuguese workers are in a situation of «marginality» in what concerns those unions, which, in principle, should defend their interests. This article tries to read such situation. In the first part we examine the economic, political and «social» functions displayed by immigration to the benefit of dominant classes in the industrialized countries of Europe. The second part shous how within an historical perspective, French sindicats have become inscreasingly more similar to «state departments», which actions is in fact under the control of such dominant classes. The final part of the article deals with the «marginality» of immigrant workers as consequently resulting both from those functions assured by immigration and the charateristics of sindical organizations in highly developed capitalist countries.