France: National agreement reached on health and safety

After 15 months of negotiations, a draft national multisector agreement on workplace accidents and occupational illnesses was concluded on 12 March 2007 by three employers' organisations (Medef, CGPME and UPA) and three trade union confederations (FO, CFTC and CFDT), which are consulting their members before signing the final accord. The CFE-CGC union confederation has refused to endorse the draft agreement and the CGT has indicated that its members are likely to reject it.