French starts the book on two premises (1) all conflicts emerge from socioeconomic realities that find their way through speech acts and (2) law is a powerful locus for discourse. He is examining the creation and functioning of legal instruments and institutions that deal with workers as well as words about by Consolidation of Labour Law (CLT). He takes a holistic approach that encompasses the structural, conjunctival, institutional and discursive on his topic. French is historicizing CLT and it is interesting. This wasn't my favourite book, but it's a great legal history book.