In the event of a merger of the scope of application of several collective agreements in application of I of article L. 2261-32 or in the event of the conclusion of a collective agreement combining the scope of several existing agreements, the contractual stipulations applicable prior to the merger or combination, where they govern equivalent situations, are replaced by common stipulations, within a period of five years from the effective date of the merger or combination. During this period, the branch resulting from the grouping or merger may maintain several collective agreements.
In view of the general interest attached to the restructuring of professional branches, temporary differences in treatment between employees resulting from the merger or regrouping may not be usefully invoked during the period mentioned in the first paragraph of this article.
In the absence of an agreement reached within this period, the stipulations of the collective agreement of the relevant branch shall apply.