The Mobilisations of Private Organizations Providing Domestic Work and Home Based Care. the Case of France.

In several European countries, the number of for-profit providers for domestic and home based care has increased in the last thirty years, highlighting the shift from family-based system of care and domestic work to a market-based economy of welfare services.

The structure of these welfare markets can be very different between countries and the type of public regulation involved play a key part in their development and shaping. But little is known on the exact role of different actors involved in the construction of the diverse public regulations. Based on a qualitative survey, this paper will analyse how employers’ organisations can contribute to this policy making in France, a country where several employers’ organisations of domestic and home based care workers are now well established. Also, France has been a forerunner in the development of “new” instruments regulating the domestic and homes based care market, with the introduction of a check, generous tax credits and the extension of collective agreements applying to different employers, may they be families, non profit or for-profit organisations.

While the industry sector has been central in the structuration of French employer’s organisations, we will show how organisations representing the employers have emerged in the sector of home based care and domestic work, have perceived market options, defined collective interests related to them and finally, how they have developed repertoires of contention in order to influence the dynamics of this welfare market.