Les rapports de force au cœur des relations de sous-traitance : conséquences sur les relations de travail

The goal of this research is to analyse how the power relationship conveyed by subcontracting relations reflects in labour relations. By definition, subcontracting relations apply to situations where the principal contractor plans and conducts the subcontractors' activity and controls the sale of the fragmented product. Accordingly, subcontracting relations are part of power relations between firms which are understood here as the ability to transfer onto other firms their own external constraints (the principal contractor perspective), and in return the dependency of these subcontractors to external directives (subcontractors perspective). Power relations can also be highlighted through the nature of the subcontracted activity: principal versus secondary activities of the contractor. Based on the French survey Reponse matched with the administrative database on firms and workers (DADS) 2008-2010, this paper provides an overview of the subcontracting relations in France for all establishments of 11 and more employees in the private sector (excluding agricultural sector). The effects of these inter-firm relations on the main features of labour relations are examined: earnings, labour organisation and industrial relations.