Archive for February, 2012

Boeing needed a plan B to save 787

Posted in business, economy, events, money, opinions by admin on February 28th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

Too complicated and too expensive to manufacture. Boeing does not veil the face. The B787 Dreamliner, the first of which came with three years late to All Nippon Airways (ANA) in late September 2011, a program remains at risk and lost.

The device, which has passed through many vicissitudes since its launch, has new technical problems. A "calibration problem between structural elements" of the rear fuselage was discovered during tests carried out in factories in Seattle. Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), admitted that the first 55 Dreamliners already built might be affected by this defect. The Boeing launched an inspection campaign and hopes to address this problem in the "ten to fifteen days." Meanwhile, industrial production ramp-up "is difficult," notes one observer. Boeing has delivered five devices from late September to ANA. Under these conditions, managing to deliver fifteen more by the end of March, as the company hoped the Japanese, is an impossible mission.

Suddenly, the group announced last weekend a radical decision afresh at the industrialization of the B 787 and review its relations with its 50 partners from rank 1 to the successful ramp-up and exit the program losses .

Permutation of managers

"There is no magic formula to improve productivity on these planes. That will come from simplification of production, employment under companions and a review of the supply chain, partner by partner, "said Pat Shanahan, general manager of the development of BCA paydayloan. Boeing is a savings of $ 1 billion. It has not been more forthcoming about how to allocate effort productivity, nor on the calendar.  

He specified, however, that the boss of the program changed. Scott Fancher, who arrived in 2008 to replace the B787 on track, gives way to Larry Loftis, the boss of Boeing 777 it replaces. The switch should allow Boeing to better prepare its "organization for the challenges ahead," said Jim Albaugh. Larry Loftis brings experience in production (lean manufacturing) tested on a mature program, and Scott Fencher, its achievements in the management of a new generation aircraft with Boeing which has made several breaks.

Technology first with the massive use of composite materials (50% against 1% for the B 747). Then outsourcing industry with 70% of manufacturing with major partners in the U.S., Europe and Japan against 21% for the B 777 and 16% for the B 767. Taken to extremes, this model inspired by the automobile industry has shown its limits for a subject as complex as an airplane. Boeing has had to overcome the difficulties encountered by these partners.

For months, the group is considering the future of the Boeing 777 entered service in 1995. His successor, or a modernized 777 B that would heavily loaded with composites have much to learn from failures and successes of the B 787.

The Bundestag will vote backwards to help Greece

Posted in Uncategorized, features, finance, international, online by admin on February 26th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

An overwhelming majority of Germans opposed the new plan of aid to Greece, considered the Rhine as a "bottomless pit": 62% were against while 33% are in favor of the second package, according to a survey of Bild am Sonntag. But Angela Merkel is assured of getting a solid "yes" of members of the Bundestag on Monday. However, the majority of the Chancellor will maintain pressure to deny any increase in the German bill, while the finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, no longer excludes a third bailout.

For the seventh time in less than two years, 620 members of the Lower House of Parliament shall meet in extraordinary session to give the green light at the European level against the debt crisis. Each time, Merkel has to struggle to gather behind his own majority. German lawmakers must approve by a large majority a motion detailing the decisions taken in Brussels a week earlier by the Eurogroup, essentially a second aid package of 130 billion euros to Greece. Germany's share is $ 35 billion.

Incentives for a withdrawal of Greece from the euro area

There is no guarantee the success of the second plan, according to Wolfgang Schäuble, who does not dismiss the idea of ​​a new bailout program in the coming years. "We can not say with certainty that the path taken will be successful. It is also possible that this is not the last time that the German Parliament will have to consider financial assistance to Greece, he wrote in a letter to parliamentarians, urging them to approve the bailout plan in Athens. Because I am convinced that this is the track I require your support for this plan. "

For the first time this weekend, a member of the German government has called for an output of Greece in the euro area. "I do not mean to exclude the Grècede the euro area, assured the Minister of the Interior, the Bavarian conservative Hans-Peter Friedrich, but to succeed in creating incentives for a withdrawal that can not be broken." It considered "the greatest chances of Greece to regenerate outside the Economic and Monetary Union." The observers will scrutinize closely the number of rebels in the majority of the Chancellor. Considering that this is the least damaging solutions, many elected officials should vote the plan rather ungraciously.

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The 5 great challenges of the next five-year agricultural

Posted in economy, finance, life, people, special by admin on February 25th, 2012 | Comments Off

1. COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY

A new CAP will enter into force in 2014. It is the subject of heated debate between the 27 Member States. Maintaining the EU budget – about 50 billion euros to support agricultural production and ensure food self-sufficiency – is now accepted. However, how to use this envelope to be defined. France, the first European agricultural power, receives about 10 billion euros per year.

WHAT THEY OFFER

The UMP wants to extend the measures of market regulation, such as those taken to better organize the dairy industry; together, producers can negotiate better prices facing manufacturers. The PS defends "an ambitious EU budget for the future of agriculture in its diversity". Only FN advocates the abandonment of the CAP for the benefit of … the PAF (French agricultural policy), to "distribute aid more precisely between small and large farm structures."

2. RELATIONS WITH THE RETAIL

80% of agricultural products are now sold through supermarkets. Farmers accuse him to capture the essence of the value added to their detriment. In 2000, for example, 45.1% of the retail price of a pork cutlet returned to the breeder, against 39% for mass distribution. Ten years later, the distribution was reversed in favor of the latter: it is now capturing more than half of the value against the third party only for breeders. Another example, a kilo of pears bought 17 cents to the grower retails for 3.50 euros.

WHAT THEY OFFER

To restore the balance of power among branches facing the retail, the PSet MoDemproposent solutions close: consolidation of producers in influential organizations, sustainability of existing tools such as "margin observatory." The UMPveut expand contracting, binding in milk, meat to all branches, fruits and vegetables … The FNveut review the competition law to protect farmers against abuse of dominance of supermarkets.

3. ENVIRONMENT

Farmers complain: their eyes, France is overzealous in transposing EU environmental standards. They demand a relaxation of constraints. Especially since the new CAP in 2014 provides a "greening" of aid, that is to say that the amount will depend less on the quantities produced, and more respect for the environment.

WHAT THEY OFFER

The modem wants to reduce and simplify administrative procedures such as to produce energy by anaerobic digestion. Where it takes three months to install a system in Germany, it takes three years in France. The PS wants to develop organic agriculture in France which represents only 3.1% of cultivated land and encourage short circuits, without detailing how. The UMP wants better dialogue between farmers and environmentalists, again without more concrete.

4. USE AND INSTALLATION OF YOUNG

Agriculture and food industry in France are 3.5 million jobs or 14% of the workforce. However, farm organizations denounced a crippling cost of labor for France, which has lost market share to international competitors from Europe, particularly Germany – the hourly cost of a seasonal employee is 50% less high. Approximately 7,000 young farmers set a year, including 5000 helped.

WHAT THEY OFFER

The UMP is to continue to reduce the cost of permanent agricultural employees, as outgoing majority has done for seasonal, whose hourly cost from 12 euros to just over 9. It relies on social VAT to get there. The UMP also has to keep the budget of 350 million euros of aid to the installation. For PS, there is no problem of the cost of agricultural labor. The FN promises an exemption five years of tax and social security of agricultural enterprises, without saying how it will be funded. The modem wants to establish a minimum area for installation.

5. UNIONISM FARM

The National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA), combined with Young Farmers, prevails over a half century and controls all farming institutions and organizations inter. The milk strike of 2009 has strengthened the two minority unions: the Rural Coordination and the Farmers' Confederation. They could lose its absolute majority in the FNSEA in the upcoming elections to the Chambers of Agriculture in early 2013. Bruno Le Maire was the first political right to go to their conventions. The Board of Directors of the FNSEA voted by a large majority to minority yesterday the opening of all inter-farm where she sat alone. The report also alleges Perruchot "possible hidden subsidies" enjoyed by unions from the Chambers of Agriculture, themselves financed by a tax.

WHAT THEY OFFER

UMP, PS and MoDem are unanimous in advocating trade union pluralism. Little to say and all the funding organizations.

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CNP expects his new boss

Posted in features, resources, special, technology, world by admin on February 23rd, 2012 | Comments Off

 

CNP Assurances, the French champion of savings, is preparing to turn a page. That of the fourteen executive Gilles Benoist, whose term expires on June 7, at the general meeting of the group. The board should appoint a successor by then, probably in April.

Both candidates are friends of the house is officially reported to the nominating committee: Antoine Lissowski, CFO of NOC, supported by Gilles Benoist, and Augustin de Romanet, the CEO of the Caisse des Depots, parent company of CNP, which term ends on March 7. Banquy Didier, chief of staff Baroin at Bercy, have also expressed strong interest in a few weeks ago. In parallel, the Presidency of the insurance company will also be renewed. Edmond Alphandery wishes to maintain this position, but it could be countered by projects Michel Bouvard. The current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Caisse des Depots et de Savoie MP is not standing for parliamentary elections and running for office. The question is whether a parallel appointment of two directors of the Caisse des Depots would be accepted.

Expand distribution

Whatever the identity of the future direction, it must address major challenges. The model of NPC, sitting on a rule of life insurance in France is slowing. In 2011, the turnover of the institution fell by 7.1%, to 30 billion euros, after a year of stagnation in 2010. Savings activities have plunged 13.4%, sealed by the difficulties of life insurance in France and Italy. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in retirement activities (17 payday loans.7%) and pensions (11%). In the end, the institution made a profit, down 17% from 872 million euros, affected by provisions in Greece and financial market volatility. "Most of these shocks has been absorbed by the insured, due to a lower rate of participation in profits", said Gilles Benoist, the Director General. Most life insurance contracts provides that losses as gains in the markets are passed on to policyholders.

Gilles Benoist has already begun a broad effort to diversify business (retirement, pension, loan …) and geographic markets in its group. International operations, excluding France, and the end of 2010 represented 37% of gross operating profit of the company. Today, products of CNP are distributed through the networks of La Banque Postale and the Savings Banks. These trade agreements, completed an equity investment, which run until 2015, can be discussed again this year.

The priority for CNP Assurances is now expanding its distribution channels. The company is therefore exploring the opportunity to partner with a third partner. Several schemes, still very early, are being studied. They would favor, according to our information, the card mutual, with reflections on networks and Groupama Covéa (GMF, Maaf, MMA).

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Company: Seven Lessons on Living

Posted in international, online, people, technology, top news by admin on February 22nd, 2012 | Comments Off

 

Sophie Menthon: 7 lessons in etiquette … by Cadremploi The etiquette in business has he? Sophie de Menthon, who founded several companies, has recruited a lot and today chairs the employers' movement ETHIC, is not safe. The company often forget the courtesy to candidates, suppliers, customers or employees.

For this reason, Sophie de Menthon published The etiquette in business, business requires. Beyond the formal rules of politeness, just listen to understand that the company has its codes. We understand them or you do not understand them. And, after a certain age, coarseness does not catch up. This is the youngest, the famous Generation Y, to study the seven lessons of etiquette that we propose to Sophie Menthon.

There are others but the spelling, how to be, to dress, talk, brief attitudes, can still work and learn when you're young. Paradoxically, these lessons of good manners are not always enough. Sophie Menthon may well be a bourgeois educated, she says she sometimes lacked herself and admit a blunder that has hurt (see the "bonus" at the end of video). It recognizes also be annoying sometimes, especially in his relationship with women. This is the price of self-confidence, frankness and independence. Then one likes or dislikes this "big mouth" whose listeners appreciate the RMC outspoken. Or not.

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The butcher of London star dismissed

Posted in business, home, international, opinions, people by admin on February 20th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

Emotion in the small world gourmet London. The butcher star Selfridges was fired this week. Jack O'Shea is accused of selling illegally for two years from foie gras to a handful of happy few. Since 2009, chefs and gourmets introduced him well passed their orders, under the code name of "French net." His store is hosted within the Selfridges food hall.

Gold chain, under pressure from animal welfare leagues, had banned the sale of this pride of French cuisine. The former James Bond actor Roger Moore, in 2009 had even financed a poster on Oxford Street, opposite Selfridges, to denounce the cruelty of force-feeding practices.

Jack O'Shea, representing the eighth generation of a line of butchers in the Irish province of Tipperary, was caught selling illegal, two days before Christmas fast cash. Journalists jokingly filmed it with his clients on contraband trade. The penalty eventually fell. The employment contract of gourmet butcher ended Thursday, Selfridges arguing breaches of hygiene rules, according to The Independent.

Award winning professional awards by Jack O'Shea is expected to rebound. He is regarded in Britain as a leading specialist meat and already owns a famous restaurant in Brussels.

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The mafia is interested in U.S. Treasuries

Posted in Uncategorized, economics, home, international, technology by admin on February 18th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

In these turbulent markets of the European debt, the U.S. Treasury arouse the envy of mafia networks. Italian justice has thus enter false vouchers worth 6,000 billion dollars in three closely guarded vaults in Switzerland.

The seizure follows an investigation launched on mafia clans in the area of ​​Vulture-Melfese, in the Basilicata region (south), said the prosecutor of the court of the city, Giovanni Colangelo. The investigation to uncover "an international network of such securities with persons involved in many countries," said the magistrate. This is "the largest ever launched in this type of investigation." Eight people have so far been arrested in Italy.

Hong Kong to Zurich

According to the magistrate, the safes containing the good have been shipped from Hong Kong to Zurich in 2007. The network would have sought to place the fake title until last January, in emerging countries or banks. Experts from the U.S. central bank (Fed) and the U.S. Embassy in Rome, who examined these false titles, felt that much of them was of excellent quality counterfeits.

The other trick was to make good dating from 1934 and place them in safes, each holding an infringement of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. Control cases, network members could well justify the presence of this huge amount of money as part of financial exchanges between the powers that won World War.

"The operations of counterfeit securities, moving boxes from Hong Kong to Switzerland, traveling worldwide members of this network have a huge cost and we therefore believe that the interests behind this case are at a high level" , he said.

According to the prosecution of Potenza, other bills could still be hidden. Italy is also customary to the practice. In September 2009, the country's authorities had seized fake U.S. treasury bonds worth 116 billion dollars found in a package at the airport of Milan-Malpensa and arrested two Filipinos involved in this case. These fake bills were also dated 1934. In June of that year, the Italian financial police had arrested two Japanese on the border between Italy and Switzerland who had hidden in fake U.S. bonds totaling $ 134 billion, in the double bottom of a suitcase.

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Fall in European investment in China

Posted in Uncategorized, life, opinions, special, world by admin on February 16th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

For the third consecutive month, foreign direct investment in China fell in January, dropping 0.3% over one year to 10 billion. "The situation in foreign investment is relatively poor," was concerned the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Shen Danyang, during a press conference Thursday.

"The uncertainties surrounding the global economy continue to grow, the restructuring of global industry slows, and growth of foreign direct investment is low everywhere," he said adding that the slowdown Growth in China – to 8.4% in 2012, against 9.2% last year according to analysts – also had an impact on foreign investment in the country.

Other negative effects on investment: the multiplication of social conflicts in several factories in recent months and rising production costs, particularly related to higher wages. 

According to a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, over 90% of the 300 companies surveyed said that "rising costs of labor and materials are a serious blow to business and challenge the competitive advantages of China ".

Construction of Shanghai Disneyland

The vast majority of foreign direct investment in China come from East Asia-Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and ASEAN countries-, up 0 saving account payday loan.8% yoy, to $ 8.6 billion .

Investment from the U.S. rose 29% to $ 342 million – partly because "the arrival of capital for the construction of Shanghai Disneyland, whose work began last year," said Shen Danyang. 

Those from Europe for their part, fell sharply from 42.5% to $ 452 million, compared to January 2010, European companies, leaded by the debt crisis, have drastically reduced their spending.

According to Hervé Lievore, economist at AXA Investment Managers in Hong Kong, "the prudence of European companies is hardly surprising when financing conditions deteriorate in Europe." For Ting Lu, economist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong, this decline in investment should be temporary predicting "a massive return of investors attracted by the exceptional growth rates in China as soon as the global economy stabilizes" .

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Working time: Unions feel shorted

Posted in business, economics, people, publications, world by admin on February 15th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

Hocus-pocus, coup, betrayal … and Socialist Trade Unions slam in chorus the vote "on the sly," Jan. 31 in the Assembly, a provision that amends the labor law. Section 40 of the bill Warsmann simplification of the law provides that "the establishment of a distribution of hours over a period longer than the week and not more than the year under a collective agreement is not a change in the employment contract. "It aims to extend a 2008 law which allows to modulate the working time per company agreement but requires the approval of each employee. A condition that prevents any modulation in practice.

Alain Vidal, in charge of employment in the Holland team, justified his opposition to this change: "A new organization of work may be incompatible with the family and personal life of each employee." ……. .

"The employee will have no choice but to accept the blackmail against new employment zones and / or pay cut, otherwise the dismissal without recourse," says Bernard Thibault (CGT).

But above all, Jean-Claude Mailly (FO) sees a "gap" to develop competitive employment agreements, while Francois Fillon has given two months to the social partners to negotiate on this idea. "This is a first step in the government's willingness to allow the employer to lower both working time and remuneration without the explicit agreement of the employee," he feared. "It is contradictory that Parliament legislates on an element of negotiation to be open, except to reduce the usefulness of this negotiation," abounds Francois Chereque (CFDT).

Short memory

"This provision only relates to working time arrangements and not contrary to the logic of competitiveness, employment agreements, to the articulation agreement in the same working time, work organization and remuneration", they responded by Xavier Bertrand wrote Same day payday loans. The Minister sees no "interference with the negotiation," which starts Friday.

Unions are also far from having discovered this provision on January 31. It had been passed in the same terms, at first reading, the … October 18. So, before Nicolas Sarkozy calls for competitive employment agreements. And social partners had been consulted on the text in September by the Ministry of Labour! The CGT had cried foul but the CFDT held that section would "in the right direction." As for the PS, he had voted in the late 1990s, laws in 35 hours, a provision that an agreement down-modulating working time would be required for each employee.

"No organization has raised the subject during the preparatory meetings at the Social Summit, nor subsequent discussions on competitiveness employment agreements," says Xavier Bertrand. "We had forgotten," says a trade unionist. The text should be considered on second reading in the Senate next Monday, and then finally adopted by the deputies on Feb. 29.

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Austerity: social unrest in Spain and Portugal

Posted in life, publications, special, technology, world by admin on February 14th, 2012 | Comments Off

 

Social cuts and austerity measures provoke social unrest throughout the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, the reform of the labor market, adopted Friday by decree, has attracted a first wave of spontaneous protest. In Portugal, it is the application of the rescue plan that creates a massive mobilization.

At the Puerta del Sol of Madrid, hundreds of people gathered Friday night to protest against the reform. Described as "historic" by the Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, the decree is the latest attempt by Madrid halting the advance of unemployment, which seems unstoppable. At 22.85% of the workforce, the Spanish rate has broken all records in the industrialized world.

The Executive intends to promote employment by making IDUs more attractive. In addition to some tax incentives, the reform lowers the costs of layoffs and wage cuts authorize unilateral when the company through a bad patch.

General strike on hold

The event on Friday, unauthorized, has been dissolved violently by police as the protesters approached the Parliament. Unions, criticized by protesters who think they are too timid, were not represented Puerta del Sol. Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and Union General de Trabajadores (UGT) intend to channel anger Social next Sunday: a "general mobilization" was convened and processions will be organized throughout Spain. The possibility of a general strike, it remains outstanding.

In Portugal, the mobilization has already taken place. "The biggest demonstration in thirty years' 300,000 people gathered Saturday in Lisbon, according to the CGTP, the main union. In a long speech, the secretary general of the Central attacked both the troika (European Commission, ECB and IMF), responsible for monitoring the implementation of the bailout, and the government, accused of submission. Many times Arménio Carlos was interrupted by protesters when he cited the name of the Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho. "Gatuno! Gatuno "(" Thief! "), The crowd chanted. Also put into question, the finance minister, accused of violating the "dignity" and "sovereignty" of the Portuguese. In an exchange with his German counterpart, Vitor Gaspar had thanked Berlin for accepting an "adjustment" of the financial plan.

Advocating a debt renegotiation, Carlos called for a higher minimum wage Portuguese, currently set at 485 euros gross. A new day of action is scheduled on February 29.

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