Ollivier law

The Ollivier law (Loi Ollivier) was a French law, voted in 25 May 1864, which legalized the right to strike which was not allowed in France since 1791. However it remained limited and still maintained the concept of "impeding the free exercise of employees rights" ("délit d'entrave à la liberté du travail").

Also the Trade unions were still not allowed. They were allowed only since the Waldeck-Rousseau law on 21 March 1884.

Under certain conditions, strikes became possible. This law, like the financing of a workers' delegation to the 1862 Universal Exhibition in London, demonstrated Napoleon III's desire to create a link between the regime and the workers. The law was fiercely opposed by the right, and a large proportion of Republicans did not accept it.

A major milestone in the development of trade unionism, it was nevertheless supplemented in 1884 by the Waldeck-Rousseau law on the creation of professional trade unions.

The Front Populaire reaffirmed the right to organize in 1936.

In 1946, the right to strike was enshrined in the preamble to the French constitution.