The talks not only pitted management and trade unions against each other but split the unions themselves. The CGT union, which received the majority of the votes in the most recent workplace elections of employee representatives at Michelin, along with CGT-FO , were against this consultation on principle, and filed several petitions with the courts to have it annulled. The agreement endorsed by the referendum will be applied from 1 May 2001. It provides for 11-15 days' extra days of per year, depending on the employee's working hours. Certain breaks and days off earned through seniority have been incorporated in actual working time.
Management views the reduction of working time as a way to gain more flexibility.
The agreement thus provides for employees to work on around 15 Saturdays a year. In terms of job creation, the agreement provides for 1,000 new jobs on open-ended contracts. These unions have stressed the considerable resources mobilised by the management to win the vote. CFDT, which is split at local level over this issue, is happy with the referendum result, which it believes has borne out the strategy of its leadership. Around 4,000 workers would be covered by such an agreement.