syndicat

A syndicat is a labor union in many French-speaking countries. It is an organized association of workers formed to defend and promote its members' interests in relation to employers, the state, and the labor market. Members join to gain collective bargaining power, representation in negotiations, and access to legal and social protections. In most Francophone contexts the term refers primarily to a trade union rather than a criminal or business syndicate.

The word derives from the French word syndic, ultimately from Latin syndicus, meaning a representative entrusted with a duty. The modern syndicat developed with industrialization and expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries as workers organized to secure wages, hours, safety, and political voice.

Functions include negotiating collective agreements, representing members in disputes, lobbying policymakers, and participating in social dialogue within firms and at national levels. Unions may organize strikes, provide training and social benefits, and support political and social causes. They operate through local sections connected to national or international confederations.

Legal status and operation vary by country but generally emphasize voluntary association, internal democracy, and the right to collective action. In France, unions are central to labor relations and collective bargaining, with major confederations such as CGT, CFDT, FO, and historically CFTC. Internationally, unions affiliate with entities such as the International Labour Organization and the European Trade Union Confederation.