18

The aim of this article is to analyze the content of conventional collective dismissals ( ruptures conventionnelles collectives) (RCC), a new legal mechanism introduced in France in 2017. RCCs constitute a new feature of labor relations for stakeholders. Within the framework of joint regulation, these agreements are developed using integrative negotiation and “contract negotiation” strategies. Based on systematic discourse analysis using the software package Tropes, this article identifies a set of linguistic indicators as well as three main phases of the process, each comprising several flurries of events. The first phase is related to supporting employees, the RCC being justified in the first place by the need for a change. During the second phase, financial compensation is allocated, and the third establishes how employees’ consent will be obtained. These findings are compared with those obtained in a previous study on the discourse surrounding employment preservation plans ( plans de sauvegarde de l’emploi) (PSE), allowing us to underline a number of similarities and differences.