Posts Tagged ‘usa’

Presidential: Payoffs for citizen initiatives

May 5, 2012 - 3:52 pm Comments Off

 

"Vote and go anyway!" Displays the travel agency Nouvelles Frontieres, "Vote by proxy and win a free night for two nights and get" diffuse the tourist office in Les Sables d'Olonne, "Voting is open its mouth but better "placards at all is a sign of fast food in ten different languages, while the ski resort of Chamrousse proposed his" ski pass citizen "and that the General Council of Essonne offered tickets to a rugby match to persons who have completed their duty to vote. In short, all the slogans that incentives, like ideas, no lack of originality in recent weeks. The objective is twofold: to reduce abstention but also generate additional revenue, or at least ride the wave of presidential elections.  

When the ballot becomes a ski day

The tourist office in Chamrousse (Isère) has understood that he had a vested interest in dragging this track one: "We decided to align the end of the ski season with the day of the first round of presidential elections , by implementing a package to a Euro on presentation of the electoral map duly stamped "says Medhi Kerbati, director of the tourist office. Obviously, he had to get up early to vote at a time and enjoy a sunny day of skiing. The Director welcomes further: "In 2007, we sold between 300 and 350 pass the same day, while on Sunday we have been almost 4,000 packages a day, including 2800 'skipass citizens'." Therefore a boon to the small station with 90 km tracks. It would be even one of the best days of the season.  

Discounts or freebies appreciated

In Roubaix (North), fast food Burger Food Familiy partnered with the association "Brigade civic action" to grant 10% discount for two rounds of elections, upon presentation of the electoral map stamped. The manager, Ahmed Meguedmi, was very satisfied with the effects of operation: "We found that customers who were not usually crossed our doors, especially young people, but our clientele is 80% family time normal. On April 22, traffic on our restaurants increased by 30-40% compared to other Sundays, "he says cheap pay day loans. An approach more citizen when one remembers that Roubaix had obtained the record abstention in the first round of regional elections in 2010, over 71%. In the first round of this year's presidential, abstention remained high at 31.43%.

In the wake of the fight against abstention, in Arles and Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone), the taxi company and Co-bikes Taco has offered to the two rounds of elections free transport customers to their polling station. Was free from 8h to 13h, and the operation has been very positive as explained Aldric Monteux, co-manager of the company: "We were able to combine a citizen but also environmentally friendly, while trying to reduce the abstention. We have carried twenty, or forty trips. This was especially the elderly or people then cut transport, which would probably not displaced. "  

Campaigns sometimes left fallow

Another tourist office, that of Les Sables d'Olonne (Vendee), capitalized on an extended operation on the four weekends of presidential and legislative elections, of offering a third night for people who have established an attorney. In agreement with a dozen providers, the business case put forward here is quite as indicated Dixte Mathieu, marketing manager of the site of the tourist office: "We launched the operation on March 28 because not only the elections Presidential is a drag but tourism and more at this time we still see a drop in attendance of around 15-20%. It was a way to both promote our destination, and encourage people to vote. "  

The only cloud on the table: because of bad weather, the impact has been almost nil, although the website of the tourist office in question recorded an increase of nearly 17,000 visits over the same period (March 24 to 23 April) compared to last year. The operation, in turn, drained 1600 visits since the beginning of the operation.

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As businesses fail to recruit

April 21, 2012 - 9:56 pm Comments Off

 

A textile company, for lack of sewers it needs for its plant in Quimper, creates a pathway of learning to train its future recruits? The SME Armor Lux, well known for its white wine, made the headlines this week, at a time when all candidates for president are the re-industrialization of the country one of their campaign themes.

This situation is not isolated and number of industrial jobs – welders, boilermakers, milling … – are pulling their hair to find candidates and encourage vocations. "There is a real paradox between a high level of unemployment in France and companies who are not candidates for positions in recruitment, whether welders, millers, coppersmiths, payroll technicians, seamstresses …. In total we estimate that roughly fifty so-called shortage occupations. In our business we miss about 30% of requests from our customers because we do not have the resources and this situation has been deteriorating for a decade, notes François Beharel, group president of Randstad and staffing agencies. Concretely, this means that our group could generate 30% of turnover and more. "

For him, the problem is essentially related to the collective image What these professions in public opinion. "We imagine that in the textile industry and is like 50 years ago, while the environment has changed, that wages were revised upwards and that career paths are possible." "We have to get into people's heads, and young people in particular, that the industry is clean and not necessarily noisy. In this regard, the construction was successful for several years to reverse its bad image, "says Anne-Marie Bjornson, Director of Transitions AFPA.

Develop learning

A UIMM, Joel Mendez, Director Employment and Training, said that one communicates primarily on job losses. Yet in all sectors of metallurgy, the recruitment needs estimated over the period 2007-2015 are always evaluated credit score. Between 60,000 and 80,000 jobs per year, including 30 to 40% reserved for graduates, according to a study by the study-which will be updated in early 2012 over a 2013 to 2020 -. "There is a big educational effort and support to achieve with the companies to become more involved in processes of looking management of jobs and skills (GPEC) and assessing their future needs" says he.

According to Anne-Marie Bjornson Afpa transitions, there are ways to mount training particularly in the context of operational readiness to employment (job center) or as part of training contracts. "We are also working on the issue of transferable skills, which allow for example to a textile worker to work in the weld or a working precision to go in the car." But anticipating needs is a prerequisite and essential step, she insists.

For Joel Mendez, it is also essential to adapt the training devices to the needs, both in initial training in continuing education. And take the example of learning where the numbers in the branch of metallurgy grew 6% in 2011 (with a total of 26 000 apprentices). "At the last school year, nearly a thousand offers of learning could not be met and at the same time, the same volume of young people did not find any company. This shows that learning can be further developed and the various mechanisms put in place recently should help solve these problems. "

A situation that in any case, Francis led Beharel hammering: "stop sending generations of young people in jobs without opportunities. Spend money to know that jobs are to be filled with real careers, especially if the areas are not attractive. "

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Saint-Ouen pinned by the Court of Auditors

April 5, 2012 - 3:20 pm Comments Off

 

This is an uncompromising assessment has drawn Wednesday the regional audit of Ile de France for the city of Saint-Ouen. With 46,000 inhabitants, this town of Seine-Saint-Denis bordering Paris has voted for the Communist mayor Jacqueline Rouillon since 1999. While a previous check had already pointed to a lack of control of payroll and an irregular arrangement of working time or uncontrolled high absenteeism, the Court of Auditors found that his requests were not followed by effects.

First of all financially: the room leading a debt that has reached "alarming levels" after rising by a third between 2007 and 2009. It requires a careful monitoring of urban works in progress, as the ambitious development of the docks of Saint-Ouen to avoid a "fiscal disaster."

Housing Allocation

Another black spot, personnel management. Payroll has indeed jumped 23% between 2004 and 2009, a period "yet preceded a significant increase in numbers." Meanwhile, the Chamber notes the insufficient measures against absenteeism, "even though it is a long recognized problem." Finally, the agents of the City have an annual working hours less than 60 hours to the floor legally, an additional cost of 2 no fax payday loan.2 million euros! But that's not all: the room was also detected irregularities in the management agents. Bulk: a premium of 6,000 euros computer given to agents, irregularities in the allocation of staff houses but also abnormally low rents granted to officers, an elected another common paid full-time employment served part-time municipal vehicles used by elected officials without permission

.

Administratively, the picture is also bleak. The regional audit and denounced "the lack of efficient tools for procurement." At the very least embarrassing for a community. A transaction has especially been pinned: a developer has bought the City of St. Ouen some 70 homes at a price of … 19,000 to 21,000 euros. A little low, even for substandard housing on the edge of Paris. In its response to the room, the mayor of Saint-Ouen ensures particularly its desire to control debt and payroll.

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China also buys French forests

March 31, 2012 - 12:12 pm Comments Off

 

The Chinese do not like only the French luxury products, but also focus on the simplest of materials, like wood. Thursday, the National Federation of the wood (FNB) has protested against China's imports of logs, the logs were felled with cut branches but still covered with bark.

"Since 2007, Chinese imports of logs have soared, says Lawrence Denormandie, president of FNB. In 2008, China imported about 30,000 cubic meters of logs in French oak. In the first half of 2011, imports stood at 121,000 cubic meters. "

Log prices upward

Chinese companies import raw product, and then transform it into boards and furniture, which are then exported to Europe. China's economic growth partly explains the growing need for wood, but also points Denormandie Lawrence "the Chinese authorities' desire to protect their own resources." The fear comes mostly from the accelerated movement. "Currently 15% of the volume of oaks harvested in France go to China, as against only 6-7% just four years, warns douzain Nicolas-Didier, managing director of the FNB. For beech, the volumes exported to China account for 10 to 12% of production, against 5-6% previously. "

This phenomenon affects first sawmills. "These purchases push log prices upward," complains Julliot Dominique, president of the sawmills Together Châlonnais. FNB advances up 20% for oak and beech to 15% last year. "The difficulty in obtaining timber under normal conditions begin to threaten the supply of certain French sawmills," says Dominique Julliot.

"We want reciprocity agreements"

It then becomes difficult to invest in new machinery or upgrading facilities. Consequence: mill closures are accelerating. Between 2008 and 2010, their number decreased by almost 11% in the Hexagon.

"We do not require a cessation of exports, however, plays Lawrence Denormandie. We want reciprocity agreements. "China has implemented a series of import taxes, low on logs and becoming stronger as we get closer to the finished product, designed to protect domestic industries . There are none in Europe. "Quotas for export would not be a bad idea," says Lawrence Denormandie.

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Life insurance: rififi around social contribution

March 29, 2012 - 10:08 pm Comments Off

 

In recent weeks, investors do not understand anything. Some have seen all of their interests in 2011 life insurance policy amputees 13.5% Social Security contributions (CSG, CRDS …). Others paid much less. CNP Assurances, for example, said she has not applied the 13.5% interest acquired all of 2011 … for the simple reason that it was applicable as of 1 October in 2011. Before that date, and the tightening of government tax, the rate was only 12.3%!

ING Direct, he admits he was wrong. Customers have received an email, stating that the amount of payroll taxes that had been indicated (13.5% for all interests in 2011) was erroneous. The situation will be rectified in order to apply a rate of 12.3% through September.

This means that the position of tax administration, questioned on the issue, has been eagerly awaited. She gave his answer Wednesday. Disappointment! It returns insurers and investors to their contracts! Because, of course, the rate of 13.5% applies only to interest earned since 1 October 2011. But to know when these interest-precisely-are "acquired", "should refer to the relevant clauses of the contract," says Bercy. Back to square one, therefore.

For Aviva, the manager of the famous Afer contract, signed by some 720,000 savers, the interest shall be granted unless the performance of the contract for the year is calculated, and so when the interest is credited to an account. Or early 2012. That's why he applied the 13.5% interest in all the euro funds earned by the insured during the past year. This clause is most detrimental to investors.

For other insurers, we can at least take into account the minimum guaranteed rate. Many contracts provide a minimum return in effect during the year (it is applied especially to investors who end their contracts before December 31, and thus before the yield used for the past year is known). It is less generally used to return ultimately, but it has the merit to exist. If the contract considers that the interests are acquired at least the minimum rate during the year, it is enough to apply 12.3% Social Security until late September. And apply the 13.5% that of the rest.

These engineers who play the card industry

March 26, 2012 - 10:40 pm Comments Off

 

Time in one week (from March 19 to 25) industry has been in the spotlight in France. No fewer than 2280 events have been deployed to try to reconcile the public with an industry rolled by job cuts. In twenty years, more than 460,000 jobs were lost in the sector, according to the Strategic Analysis Centre (SAC), which provides yet for 2020, 3.425 million more jobs in this industry.

Director of the Ecole des Mines d'Ales, Alain Dorison advocates more than ever for the industry and seeks to expose its students as possible with this medium. "We ensure that our students know the industrial and SMEs and we train them to the culture of innovation and creativity," he says.

Innovation and creativity

On leaving school, 80% of engineers are working elsewhere in the productive sector, and 50% leave in companies of fewer than 2000 employees. "The addition of a large group, it is fame and salary levels. But in an SME, the great wealth remains the variety of missions and jobs, "he insists.

With a tray + 6 "design environment" conducted at the Institute of Arts and Crafts of Chambery, Lawrence Noca has hardly hesitated when the specialist outdoor Lafuma offered him a position in the eco-design and . Since 2011 he is Director of Innovation and Sustainable Development group based in Anneyron in the Drome and operates three production sites in France.  

"The textile industry is not the market that we hear first in schools payday loans. Yet there are real problems of production, materials research, "he says. Currently he is working on projects on eco-design hiking equipment and new methods of shaping fabric. "Innovation can be a true way to relocate certain activities," he recalls.

Of wood chemistry in printed electronics

Other rapidly changing industry, paper. "We are in an area where factories are closing, but at the same time moving towards green chemistry, which recovers waste, which will generate employment in the coming years. We talk less and less paper and more and more fiber, "insists Bernard Pineau, director Pagora, the engineering school in Grenoble Institute specializes in the paper.  

"We will of the chemistry of wood, boxes and luxury packaging, printed electronics to a market that weighed 3 million in 2008 and is currently estimated at 89 billion dollars!" Recalls Bernard Pineau. The 60 engineers who drop out each year to graduate have no trouble placing in France and abroad (with salaries of about 35,000 euros per year). But it is true that 40% are apprentices. "A quarter of our alumni now occupy positions of CEO or plant managers," commented Bernard Pineau.

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Labor reform: Monti wants to push through

March 23, 2012 - 9:48 am Comments Off

 

Lack of agreement with the most powerful Italian unions, the CGIL, Mario Monti will try to push through his reform of the Labour Code, which will facilitate dismissals in Italy.

After presenting the text to moderate unions and employers on Thursday night, the Italian prime minister intends to adopt this proposed reform of the Labour Code to the Council of Ministers, this Friday to vote to do so as quickly by Parliament .

"We will make the text so that it prevents any abuse in dismissals," Mario Monti promised Thursday night. Time is running for President of the Council who plays his all on this eagerly awaited by reforming the markets and the European Central Bank.

The confederation CGIL, which refused to sign the text and left the negotiating table, called a general strike. The Democratic Party stands for the first time Mario Monti and promises to fight. The ruling coalition, without which Mario Monti would be powerless, threatens to explode.

On the form, Monti reform aims to modernize an Italian Labour Code dating from 1970, accused of holding back growth. On the merits, it addresses two major problems in Italy: on one side, layoffs nearly impossible in large companies, the other an increasing precariousness of work, without nets worthy of the name.

To break this duality of the labor market – which is found also in Spain – Mario Monti wants to facilitate layoffs by offering social protection to many workers who are deprived, while facilitating youth employment.

Conventional termination

Socially, unemployment benefits would become universal and will last 12 months – 18 months for seniors – and will reach 1,119 euros per month, more than today cash advance loans. Paternity leave would be introduced in some industries. And a fund to support older unemployed will be created. For Stefano Libman, professor of labor law at Bocconi University of Milan, this reform has the merit of "the basis for social protection for the millions of workers now have access to coverage generalized social."

To help youth employment, the reform provides for the rationalization of the types of contracts. In quarantine, they will be reduced to eight. Learning becomes the model contract and will last three years. "In the short term, with the crisis, it will inevitably lead to layoffs. But ultimately, this will create a stable job, "says Stefano Libman.

Blocks where the reform is on the right of dismissal, framed by Article 18 of the Labour Code, which prohibits dismissal "without just cause." In fact, Article 18 does not block a score of layoffs a year, but in the minds he became the symbol of the rigidity of the Italian labor market. The government insists the review. It plans to introduce a form of "conventional rupture" in the French which allows to separate from an employee by paying compensation of up to 24 months' salary.

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Banks: Justice disavows the Competition Authority

February 24, 2012 - 5:28 am Comments Off

 

It is a repudiation for the Competition Authority. The institution, which had inflicted 385 million euro fine in September 2010 with the main banks operating in France on their pricing of check processing, has seen its decision questioned by the Court of Appeal of Paris. In a ruling Thursday, the latter took the view that in this case, "the grievances of Understanding (…) can not be accepted" and that the banks concerned "should therefore be exonerated ".

The case dates back to the early 2000s, when banks have embarked on the computerization of processing checks. They are then granted to establish interchange fees, naturally passed on to end customers.

Fines must be repaid to banks

Banks have justified the introduction of these fees, which were abolished in 2007, the cost that they accounted for the modernization effort of check processing. One argument considered to be unfounded by corporate treasurers, who saw the impact fees.

In September 2010, the Competition Authority found in favor of the latter, and denounced an agreement on final prices payday loans in one hour. A vision not shared by the Court of Appeal of Paris, sought by banks complained, BPCE, Post Bank, BNP-Paribas, the National Confederation of Credit Mutuel, Crédit Agricole, Crédit du Nord, CIC, LCL HSBC France, Societe Generale.

In its reasoning, it considers that the commissions were "directly related to the new system paperless exchange of checks, public interest project neutral in terms of competition law …". It also believes that the Bank Agreement does not constitute "an agreement on final prices."

The Competition Authority may lodge an appeal. When asked, a spokesman said the institution consider what action would give the matter. Fines paid to the Treasury must be repaid to the banks.  

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Epidemic failure of Chinese SMEs

October 15, 2011 - 10:08 am Comments Off

From our correspondent in Beijing

It became the big hot topic on the Chinese Internet to the desktop as local leaders. The distress of Chinese SMEs in need of cash is in China proportions "hysterical", according to press reports in Hong Kong. To the point that the government has announced a package of measures to help them and calm the unrest.

The crisis of Chinese SMEs is symbolized by the incredible epidemic of bankruptcies in the city of Wenzhou, in the heart of the exporting province of Zhejiang. The Chinese press said Thursday that since the beginning of the year, more than 200 patrons had fled or hid after their coffers have dried up. Others have committed suicide. Some 20% of the 360,000 SMEs in the region have already had to close shop for lack of money.And the situation will get worse in January, when the Chinese New Year, traditionally the time when patrons enjoy a vacation to disappear without paying their employees. According to the New China News Agency, SMEs create around 80% of jobs in the country.

The State Council (Chinese government) has subsequently announced Tuesday a series of measures, financial and tax to help small and medium enterprises. The first is to facilitate access to credit. To do so, against the current of their policy, the authorities will allow the minimum reserve ratios "comparatively low" for local banks lending to SMEs, while this ratio was usually around 21% for large banks. Moreover, these small businesses can more easily borrow by issuing bonds. The other part is to exempt SMEs from a battery of taxes and charges.Banks are also prohibited from charging their services at prices "unreasonable."

"Informal Credit"

Wenzhou has become a symbol for it is the Chinese capital of the "informal credit". Private reserves by banks, which prefer to grant loans to large corporations, small businesses are strangled. They have no recourse but to turn to private security companies that have developed lending. The rates are incredibly high, ranging from 20% to over 100% … Some analysts believe that the share of informal loans may exceed 25% of total credit in the country. Credit Suisse has estimated that black market credit of 456 billion euros, with an increase of 50% per year.

Chief economist at the Development Research Centre of the State Council, Zhang Wenkui believes that the latest measures only bring temporary relief.And nothing will change until the banking sector do not be reformed, by offering different services to different types of customers. He has a vivid picture to describe the current situation: "It's like an irrigation system with water that would go to large trees and ignore all the shrubs." The problem is that in the short Beijing term can not open the floodgates too, failing to challenge its efforts to the credit crunch.

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The Paris Bourse is expected to again attempt a rebound

September 7, 2011 - 2:20 pm Comments Off

The Paris Bourse on Wednesday will try to stop his downward series. The CAC 40 closed yesterday on a third round of consecutive decline, the lowest of the year and still under 3000 points. This time, to consolidate their recovery, operators should rely on the good mood of the Asian markets who have chosen to embark on a bargain hunting.

Closing slightly lower on Wall Street should also reassure the markets. The New York Stock Exchange, which remained very cautious, however, has not panicked by the announcement of a good non-manufacturing ISM index. All good news about the health of the U.S. economy are highly valued in a context of fear of a recession in America. As such, investors are waiting to know the details of the Fed's Beige Book, which will be announced tonight.Tomorrow, Thursday, will also be a crucial day in Congress with the speech of President Barack Obama on employment. The CNN already believes that it will propose to spend $ 300 billion to new posts. These new expenditures should be fully offset by budget cuts.

Germany at the center of attention

Side the euro area, all eyes turned to the German Constitutional Court which shall decide on Wednesday on the legality of the financial contribution of Berlin plans to help Europe. The observers could never imagine, however, that the Court considers illegal contributions already provided by Berlin, which would cause a cataclysm in the euro area. Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to comment on the decision of the Court in a speech to the Bundestag in the morning.

The European Commission has also expressed his relief after Tuesday night's decision by the Italian Government's plan to strengthen budgetary discipline, while financial markets doubted the real will of Rome to reduce its deficit. For its part, the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, acknowledged Tuesday the difficult economic situation, highlighting the problem of Greece, and "tensions" in the markets, but said that Spain 's will not need help.

The single currency was this morning up 0.34% to 1.4055 dollar. It is particularly supported by the decision of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to set a floor price of 1.20 francs per euro.Oil side, in the early electronic trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in October gained 51 cents to 86.53 dollars per barrel of Brent North Sea crude for October delivery 39 cents to 113.28 dollars .

Values ​​to follow on Wednesday

• Banking

Countries in the euro area have no plans for financial support to banks beyond and above what was planned for the financial sector rescue packages in Greece, Ireland and Portugal, have sources said Tuesday the euro area. For its part, Greece wants to extend the powers of its central bank to strengthen bank supervision, hoping to put the sector in the shelter of a worsening debt crisis, according to a bill presented Tuesday.

• Air France-KLM

The company reported passenger traffic up 7.6% in August, a load factor of 85.7% on the month and stability of cargo traffic (-0.2%) with capacity up 2.8%.

• Pernod Ricard

The group said they did not consider major strategic acquisitions before next summer at least.

• Scor

The reinsurer expects to achieve a volume of gross written premiums, equivalent to sales of 10 billion euros in 2013, against 6.7 billion in 2010, according to a statement posted Wednesday on the occasion of a day devoted investors.

• Sodexo

The group, a global leader in catering, has announced the acquisition of Puras do Brasil, Brazil's number two industry, in a statement.With this self-financed operation, Sodexo will become number one in Brazil, a rapidly growing market where Puras do Brasil realizes a turnover of half a billion euros.

• Valeo

The group announced its intention to repurchase up to 670,000 of its shares to a maximum of 22.5 million euros in connection with operations authorized by the General Assembly in June These shares will be allocated for the implementation of any plan of options to purchase shares in the allocation of shares in respect of participation or implementation of any company savings plan.

• Biomérieux

The group released a consolidated net profit up 3.7% to 75 million euros in the first half and said forecast for 2011 organic growth in sales of around 5%, against a previous target of +5% or + 6%, in a context of weak European economy and the U.S..

• Boiron

The specialist in homeopathy said the uncertainties in the economic environment for caution in its annual outlook after a deuixème trimesre marked by a 3.3% decline in sales. This decline in activity, combined with an increase in personnel costs and a continued investment in advertising, led to a fall of 92.5% of operating profit in the first half of the year.

• Transgene

The specialist therapeutic vaccines has announced a net loss dug to 17.7 million in the first half, against -14.5 million a year earlier, but said he expected a second part of a year rich in results and starting clinical trials.