Union Low-pay-worker Representation and the sans-papiers Strikes in France

The article deals with the problem of union representation in the low-pay-sector. Regarding especially (but not only) the situation in Germany, it claims a cultural gap between traditional unions and employees in the expanding precarious job sector. This is due to the difficult circumstances for worker interest representation in these sectors, but also to problems of the unions to deal with ‘crazy’ struggles typically erupting in this employment area. In the following the French case of the sans-papiers strike between October 2009 and summer 2010 is empirically examined as an example of relatively successful ‘bridge-building’ between established unions and precarious wage-earners. Although this case is also committed to specific French conditions, some things can be learned from it for a more general assessment of the topic of union politics in the low-pay area.