France: Working time deal in hospitality sector

Four trade unions (the sectoral organisations of CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC and FO) concluded a new working time agreement at the beginning of February 2007 with three employers' organisations (UMIH, GNC and SYNHORCAT) in the hotels, cafés and restaurants sector.

Covering 600,000 workers (up to 800,000 including seasonal staff), the agreement (which also applies to nightclubs) aims mainly to conform to a ruling by France's supreme administrative court (Conseil d'état) requiring the sector's social partners to draw up new working time arrangements from 1 January 2007.