France's parliament has passed a law which effectively ends the country's compulsory 35-hour working week.
The new law will allow companies to strike individual deals with unions on working hours and overtime.
Since coming into office last year, President Nicolas Sarkozy has blamed the 35-hour week for damaging France's economic competitiveness.
Introduced 10 years ago by the then Socialist government, polls show most French still support the 35-hour week.
The new measures are expected to come into force at the end of August.
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Having been approved earlier this month by the National Assembly - France's lower house of parliament - the measures passed a vote in the Senate - the upper house - late on Wednesday.
The bill was supported by the Senate's centre-right majority but opposed by the opposition Socialists.
The Senate also adopted other key measures reforming rules on strikes and unemployment benefits.
(BBC)
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