The first, top management staff, who will be excluded from the 35-hour rule. Arguably, there is a secular trend towards a reduction in working time in most European economies thanks to productivity growth. The average European annual working time now stands at 1656, so the French 1600-hour limit is not the lowest. So the French exception lies in introducing it by legislation. The 1996 and 1998 laws have created a bargaining dynamic.
Unions are practically absent in the bulk of small enterprises.
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