"On 25 April 2006, European chemical and metallurgical industry unions struck a deal with the employers in a range of industries on protecting the health of workers exposed to crystalline silica dust. But the European building workers' union refused to join the negotiations or sign the autonomous agreement. This article looks at the health problems stemming from occupational exposure to silica dust, the contents of the agreement, and why some opted in while others shunned it. It concludes with our analysis of the negotiations set against the background of the current revision of the European Carcinogens Directive."

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