Captain of industry

Date: 13/06/1996

AT the age of 70, most people are hard at work improving their golfing or boules skills, nurturing their gardens or planning their next holiday.

Not so François Perigot, president of the European employers' federation UNICE, who looks set for another two-year term as the champion of European commerce.

Squabbles between the rival German federations BDA and BDI have killed the chances of BDA president Klaus Murmann taking over from Perigot, as expected.

With UNICE's council of presidents due to decide who will lead the federation for the next two years tomorrow (14 June), Perigot is the strong odds-on favourite to hold on to the post.

Against the backdrop of Commission President Jacques Santer's new employment drive, and with Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn pinning great hopes on the social dialogue, the job carries with it considerable influence.

The likelihood of another two years of Perigot is almost universally welcomed, even if his recently expressed doubts about the viability of Santer's 'confidence pact' on employment have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons.

Even those representing 'the other side' of the industrial divide admit that Perigot is an impressive operator and an extremely effective negotiator.

For the unions, two more years of Perigot would provide continuity and vital experience which would be useful in the approaching discussions, not least if the social partners decide to negotiate an EU-wide deal on conditions governing 'atypical' work.

As seems to be the fate of all Frenchmen taking on responsibility at the European level, Perigot first had to persuade his Anglo-Saxon colleagues that he was not

“too French”.

Once elected to the top job in UNICE, most expected him to be more aggressive than has proved to be the case.

“He had a reputation as a tough man in the French federation CNPF (Conseil National du Patronat Français), but that is probably more a reflection on the organisation than the man. France is much more of a political battleground and there is a lot of internal competition within the organisation,” says a colleague.

It did not take the man from Lyon too long, however, to persuade colleagues that he was prepared to lead firmly from the front.

“When he entered UNICE, he really shook things up - in a positive way. The president's job was traditionally that of a figurehead, but Perigot has been hands-on right from the word go,” says a former UNICE official.

The first thing people comment on is the stark contrast between Perigot and his predecessor Carlos Ferrer, who clearly played the role of figurehead and diplomat while most of the political impetus came from UNICE Secretary-General Zygmunt Tyszkiewicz.

Colleagues insist that the change in the balance of power in the organisation has not overly unsettled Tyszkiewicz, who has been in the job since 1985.

“Despite both being formidable characters, the two of them work very well together, although I think there was an initial period of adjustment,” comments one observer.

Former colleagues from Perigot's days at CNPF put the change in leadership style down to a number of factors.

For a start, UNICE represents Perigot's main occupation. He retired from Unilever in 1986 and can devote most of his efforts to federation policy. He is also used to a more hands-on style of presidency, in keeping with the French tradition.

“Most importantly of all, he is an extremely-gifted and astonishingly-energetic man,” says one admirer.

“He's an intellectual heavyweight with a quick, all-consuming mind. Although he knows what he wants, he is prepared to sit down, listen to other people's opinions and evaluate what he has been told,” says an official.

These listening abilities have served Perigot well within UNICE, as have his skill in speaking Spanish, “the remarkable quality of his English” and his experience of dealing with different cultures.

Representing 33 different federations from 25 different countries, UNICE has often been hamstrung by the need to find a compromise between “some members who are to the right of Ghengis Khan and others who are more left wing than the ETUC”.

But his senior officials believe Perigot has managed to strike a good balance between the disparate views which he represents and has presented his organisation's views with an unaccustomed clarity.

“Perigot is very articulate and a straight talker, in contrast to Ferrer. He is also skilled at expressing things in such a way that they can easily be understood by the man in the street,” says one.

He even seems to have succeeded in drawing together the different views of UNICE's members without rubbing too many people up the wrong way.

One colleague describes him as “a nice person to work with”, while a former ally from his days in Paris portrays him as “a charming man who is loved by his staff”.

But this does not make Perigot any less determined when he is sitting across the table engaged in a negotiation. According to an official from one member state, he is “by far the most forceful representative of the social partners”. This is not least because “he comes from the hard world of commerce, which gives him an obvious edge”.

As to his politics, Perigot has drawn criticism from both the unions and the Commission for his recent attack on the 'confidence pact'. But Commission claims that his comments were a deliberate attempt to “lurch right” in the run-up to the UNICE poll are firmly rejected. Perigot was, UNICE insists, simply expressing the views of the organisation's member federations.

Perigot's first priority has been to identify the main opportunities for European companies and improve their operating conditions. Competitiveness remains the key buzz-word at UNICE, which insists that the Commission's role should be to cut red tape. It also stresses there must be a clear division between member state and Community responsibilities in the field of job creation.

French union officials maintain that Perigot has proved much more effective at a European level than during his time as CNPF president. “He did nothing in France to encourage negotiation between the social partners, although at least he recognises the legitimacy of the unions.”

Things were not made easier for him as the head of a bosses' organisation which was divided on international trade and social issues in a country run by a Socialist president. An arch free-trader, Perigot frequently found himself at odds with the French government over the latter's attitude to the GATT world trade liberalisation talks.

But at the European level, Perigot has attracted widespread praise for the positive role he played in securing a negotiated deal on parental leave, in contrast to the earlier failure to secure a settlement on European works councils.

“No more proof is needed of his commitment to the social dialogue,” says a Commission official generously.

Perigot may yet persuade his members to do the same on atypical work. But one official warns: “This will not be easy, as it is the employers who have to pay.”

Although impressed by Perigot's skills, the unions are more reserved in their praise. “It is a defensive tactic, rather than a positive one. He does it to stop legislation being imposed on him from above,” says one.

The embodiment of “business with a social conscience, a liberal with a small l”, Perigot is also said to have a strong

political commitment to fighting youth unemployment, as evinced by UNICE's recent ¡OYE! initiative.

A charming man with a lively, intelligent sense of humour, Perigot's frenetic schedule still leaves him time to pursue his sporting interests, including horse-riding and sailing, for which a boat in the south of France comes in handy.

Perigot is also said to be very proud of his impressive collection of decorations, which range from the French Légion d'Honneur to the High Officer of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia.