Social change at the French Railway Company: creating local and central works councils, 1982-1986.

The Auroux Act, passed on October 28, 1982, extended the powers of "joint p roduction committees" (J.P.C./C.E.) and it obliged "industrial and trading public companies" (E.P.I.C.) to include such committees. As it became such an institution, on January 1st, 1983, the French national railway company ( S.N.C.F.) had to abide by the legislation concerning ((joint production com mittees)). Until then standing apart from that legislation, this company ha d to include a J.P.C. in an organization characterized by its strongly cent ralized decision-making process and its very specific social arrangement sy stem. Because of that bond, a deep reconsideration began within the company , bringing into light the railway workers' questioning on the importance of their economic and social particularity. The point was to know whether it had to be defended or abandoned. That reconsideration allowed railway worke rs to relaunch the debate inside the company and to point out some capaciti es and refusals of evolving concerning social development in the S.N.C.F. Between the capacities and will for change and the refusals and will for op position. the answer given to the question on how to set J.P.C. eventually highlight the S.N.C.F. as a company crippled with passivity on the one hand , however proving to be capable of getting involved in a significant proces s of social change on the other hand. This capability is obvious as long as one considers the company and its social development policies on a long pe riod of time. As a matter of fact, considering the size of the company, its technical and social specifities, and the quality and safety required, soc ial changes are only possible in a long period of time.