France: Talks open on forward-looking management of jobs and skills

In July 2008, France's main trade union confederations and employers' organisations launched talks over a national cross-industry agreement on the "forward-looking management of employment and competences" (gestion prévisionnelle des emplois et des competences, GPEC).

French law currently encourages the conclusion of GPEC agreements, which aim to manage employees’ jobs and skills to prevent or mitigate job losses in a context of enterprise restructuring.