What is a union advocate?
Verified 11 May 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The union advocate assist or represents employees and employers before the labor court advice and the labor courts of appeal. As part of its missions, it advises and defends employees and employers during the procedure. The union advocate is in principle designated for 4 years. We're taking stock of the regulations.
The list of trade union defenders is established in each region by the Dreets: titleContent on proposal trade unions of employers and employees.
The list of trade union advocates is stopped by the regional prefect.
It is published in the collection of administrative acts of the regional prefecture.
Please note
Trade union organizations appoint trade union advocates on the basis of their experience, professional relations and knowledge of social law.
The list of trade union advocates is revised all 4 years.
It can be changed at any time.
The removal of a person from the list of trade union advocates is carried out at the request of the organizations that have proposed its inclusion or at the initiative of the Dreets: titleContent.
The Dreets informs the employer of the registered employee of the acquisition and withdrawal of the function of union advocate.
Where the trade union defender does not not his mission for a period of 1 year and that he has not justified of a pattern legitimate (illness for example), it is removed from the list of trade union advocates.
It may also be removed from this list if it does not comply with its obligations of discretion.
Finally, the union advocate may be delisted of the list by the regional prefect when he is not practicing not its function free of charge.
The list can be consulted:
- Either in each labor court council or court of appeal of the region
- Either at the Dreets: titleContent.
The trade union defender shall perform his duties free of charge.
The union advocate may request to his employer one leave for economic, social, environmental and trade union training.
This leave may not be taken on paid leave annual.
The training is due actual work for the acquisition of paid leave and entitlement to social insurance and family benefits.
The trade union defender retains all other rights resulting from his employment contract.
To take this training, the trade union defender benefits of absence authorizations.
It benefits from 2 weeks of absence authorization per period of 4 years following the publication of the list of trade union defenders on which he is registered.
The union advocate must inform the employer of his absence for this training at least 30 days in advance (or 15 days if the absence is less than 3 days consecutive).
It specifies the name of theestablishment or the body responsible for training, the date, the duration and the scheduled times.
These absences for training are paid by the employer. They are allowed as part of the contribution of employers to the financing of vocational training.
The trade union defender may be granted leave of absence to carry out his duties. The rules differ depending on the size of theestablishment :
11 or more employees
In establishments of at least 11 employees, the trade union defender shall be given the time necessary to the performance of his or her duties, within the limit of 10 hours per month.
Less than 11 employees
In establishments less than 11 employees, none The employer is not required to pay a statutory credit for hours.
In the absence of treaty provisionsHowever, the union advocate agrees with the employer to be granted hours of absence.
The trade union defender receives remuneration during his absence which differs according to the number of employees in theestablishment :
11 or more employees
In establishments of at least 11 employees, the employer shall pay the absences the union advocate.
Such absences shall not result in no decrease corresponding remuneration and benefits.
The employer is then reimbursed monthly by the State of the maintained wages and the corresponding benefits and social charges.
To make a claim, the employer must complete the following form:
Less than 11 employees
In establishments with fewer than 11 employees, the trade union defender does not receive any remuneration.
Please note
If the employer allows him to be absent, he enjoys the same rights as in companies with at least 11 employees.
The union advocate is reimbursed semi-annually mileage travel expenses incurred to assist or represent a litigant before the labor court council or appellate court.
In this case, the graft issue the trade union defender with a attestation attendance at the hearing. The trade union defender submits his request to the Service and Payment Agency (ASP) and attaches this certificate.
A kilometer claim form must be completed:
Claim for mileage related to union advocacy
Who shall I contact
By post
DR ASP CORSE-PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR
Union Defenders Device
7b, Galicia Road
Mirabeau Building
13098 AIX-EN-PROVENCE CEDEX 02
By phone
04 42 52 54 32
The exercise of the mission of trade union defender cannot be a cause of disciplinary action. The union advocate is a protected employee.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by phone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.
He does not respond questions on unemployment compensation and approaches to the France Labor (formerly Pôle emploi), the public servants or contract workers of the fcivil service, the amount or payment of contributions social, wage or employer.
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The informants who answer you belong to the ministry in charge of labor.
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