Since Friday, the plant Fralib is occupied by its employees. A situation that is denounced by the president of Unilever France, Bruno Witvoët. "This is unacceptable in a constitutional state, says in an interview in Paris-Today-in-France. Such a coup with hooded individuals armed with baseball bats and batons, it is not of union action, it's a commando! ". The boss of Unilever France claiming the expulsion "immediate and prompt action with law enforcement" employees, has also filed a complaint for "physical threats" from the police. "From fabrications," Olivier replied Leberquier, CGT union. According to the police of Aubagne, intervened at the scene, there would have been no collision.

"Holland must keep its promises"

"Closing a plant is always a very difficult decision, Bruno recognizes Witvoët. But in some cases – including tea bags – we have overcapacity. This is justified in stopping this site ". He said Unilever has taken responsibility in the case of employees of Fralib, accepting "to add additional resources for the revitalization of the local employment" as required by justice. "Funds for creating new jobs has increased from 1 to 1.5 million euros" and "each dismissed employee is entitled to an internal transfer, pay the same conditions, in one of six other plants in France , "he said.

This new twist, the 592nd day of the conflict comes as 80 of the 103 employees still struggle, of 182 initially received their letter of dismissal. At the same time, a moving company came to do a quote on the site, and management proposed the CGT to move out of its local business, or in organizing the escorted access, for reasons of safety concerns, dismantling machinery. A scenario rejected by the union, which wants to keep the tool working on site to implement an alternative plan of recovery of activity.

Given this situation, unions are demanding the intervention of Francois Hollande. During the presidential campaign, President-elect said: "Nothing is done, nothing is guaranteed and if victory comes, I will also be at your side, President of the French Republic, to get your site live, had he launched at a meeting of employees Fralib in Paris in February. "The company is now under the control of the CGT and the Netherlands should keep its promises. His election is a ray of hope, "says Olivier Leberquier. The standoff between employees Fralib and its direction is far from over.

The figures published on Wednesday trade deficits German and French offers a shortcut striking about the strengths and weaknesses of the two economies. German exports hit a record in March. They rose 0.9% on month and rise to 98.9 billion euros, thanks to the success of products across the Rhine outside the euro zone. Its trade surplus amounted to 17.4 billion euros, up 16.8%. "A further sign of a healthy German economy despite the crisis in the euro area", decrypts Wirschke Constantine, an economist at Natixis.

If, at the same time, France has reduced its trade deficit of almost 500 million euros to 5.7 billion euros, it hides a global slowdown in trade. Clearly, exports fell twice as fast as imports. The first fell to 558 million euros, to 36.491 billion, when the second fell by 1.1 billion euros to 42.212 billion on March.

"The decline is more pronounced for imports after the substantial purchases energy (oil, gas) caused by the February cold snap, so the trade deficit is reduced, 'the Customs. Apart from lower petroleum products, purchases of industrial products decreased, which could reflect a slowdown in France, as the perceived leading economic index for April.

For their part, "exports of manufacturing industries are marking time, after their sharp increase earlier this year," are Customs. Computer sectors, including automotive and aerospace have been less successful in other countries.  

The good health of the German economy, however, allowed the industry to limit the hexagonal case. In March, Germany has indeed set a record for imports as well (78.1 billion euros over the month, up 1.2%) whose French exports have benefited. Particularly in the industrial machinery sector.

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Athens: the message of the Communists. Five days of Greek elections of 6 May, several thousand people (18,000 according to police), especially communists showed around Athens and Thessaloniki, the second largest city, struck by a particularly harsh austerity policy. This statutory holiday, traditionally celebrated as the "day of general strike" in the private and the public gathered including more than 8,000 activists of Workers Struggle Front, close to the Communist Party, a suburb of Athens, in support of workers a steel plant on strike for several months in protest against wage cuts. In Salonika 7,000 people demonstrated, mostly militants Pame.

Madrid against the new reform travail.Sous the slogan "Work, dignity, rights. They want to destroy everything ", some 100,000 protesters marched in 80 cities in Spain. In Focus events: budget cuts and labor reform adopted in February by the Conservative government. "New labor reform: towards a world of slaves," proclaimed a huge banner displayed to the start of the parade. Introduced to boost labor market since the explosion damaged the housing bubble in 2008, the reform is far from proven: Spain has broken a new record Friday of unemployment in industrialized countries, with assets of four (24.4%) unemployed.

Jakarta against loss of activity due to outsourcing. In Indonesia, about 9000 people, supervised by 16,000 police and soldiers, marched in the capital Jakarta to demand wage increases and denounce the loss of activity due to outsourcing. With its 240 million inhabitants, Indonesia is one of the highest growth rates in the world (over 6% per year) thanks to its vast natural resources. But half the population is still below the international poverty line while the average monthly salary, which is just over one hundred euros, just to follow the continually rising cost of living no fax cash advance.

Hong Kong: a minimum wage increase. This area of ​​7 million people is home to many millionaires, but also hundreds of thousands of working poor. Of these, 5,000 demonstrators called for an improvement of pensions, supervision of weekly working hours and a minimum hourly wage hike of 28 Hong Kong dollars (2.7 euros) to $ 33.

Manila: fighting for purchasing power. In the Philippines, they were walking toward a 3000 presidential palace in Manila, waving portraits of President Benigno Aquino. Workers in this country plagued by corruption where a quarter of the 95 million population live on $ 1 a day their leader in dog caricature orders of foreign capitalists.

Moscow: 150,000 pro-Kremlin protesters. Less than a week of his inauguration, President-elect Vladimir Putin and the outgoing head of state Dmitry Medvedev joined a large pro-Kremlin protest organized for Labor Day in downtown Moscow. Some 150,000 demonstrators attended the rally, police said. The two leaders headed the procession, in a friendly atmosphere, on the bottom of a sign "We're strong!" The last appearance of a Russian head of state in a parade of May 1 was in 1996 when Boris Yeltsin was very unpopular protesters joined a few weeks before the presidential election.

New York: a test to Occupy Wall Street. The Wall Street Occupy movement that attracted international attention with its protests last September wishes to maintain its waning influence in connection with the May 1. Of gathering are planned, including New York and San Francisco. Public participation in these events will determine the future of a movement undermined by the lack of financial and internal dissent.

Since the U.S. Open in 2011, claims rumble among players. Endowments tournaments and especially to the calendar Grand Slam. To calm the discontent, the price of Roland Garros were revalued by 8.67%, while those in the first round losers go up by 20%, at a circuit where prices are 30% focused on the four best (Djokovic Nadal, Federer, Murray). Decryption.

LE FIGARO. – How did you arrive at this decision?

Gilbert Ysern. – The distribution of the wealth of tournaments, with a concentration on a small number of players has never been greater than today, is one of the peculiarities of our sport. Comparing such a discipline such as golf, which quite a lot like ours, we find that there is a greater disparity in prices. So we decided to upgrade the equipment of the players the first week. By comparison, in Indian Wells, the winner gets 130 times more than the 1st round loser. In Miami, it is 1 to 85. At Roland Garros in 2011, it was 1 to 80 and this year it will be 1 to just under 70.

Do you feel you were put in front of the players an ultimatum?

We are not in this logic. I went to Indian Wells meet the players, because it was the first time the top four were together and they have suggested. But it was not a meeting.

The strike threat was real?

No, there was no threat. We know that the idea of ​​putting pressure on the tournaments through a boycott threat has arisen in a number of players at the general meeting in Melbourne (in January) payday loans guaranteed no fax. And it could also be evoked by a handful of players at the next meeting in Miami (in March). This does not worry us, it is not the posture of players including Roger Federer, who is the Chairman of the players.

What are the exact players' claims?

Their concerns are twofold. Besides the question of the distribution of prices between them is that of the wealth generated by the Grand Slams, they believe, with 73% of revenue devoted to prices, not being quite to their advantage. The second case is more complex, because the reality of our economy is not what they believe. At the end of the year, there is nothing left in the coffers of the Federation because all resources are reinvested in tennis. It is important that players understand the ecosystem of the French model launched by Philippe Chatrier thirty years ago, which has developed alongside the Roland Garros tournament and play in the national territory, one feeding on the other.

Can we say that there will be no boycott of a Grand Slam tournament or Roland Garros or in 2012?

You can never say never, but it is my firm conviction.

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The main presidential candidates have one thing in common: they announce tax increases for years to come. None of them claim to return to zero deficit by cutting public expenditure only: they know that the remedy would be too much for the French social model. In addition, candidates are aware that economic growth alone will not fill the public coffers.

On this point, economists are even more cautious. Nicolas Sarkozy expects a GDP growth of 2% from 2014, Francois Hollande 2% in 2014 and 2.25% thereafter. "It would be wiser to predict growth of 1.5%," said Jean-Christophe Caffet, economist at Natixis. "And above all, to the same level, growth will generate less tax revenues spontaneously that during the expansion phase of pre-2007", warning Mathieu Plane, an economist at OFCE.

Mechanically, when the GDP is up, after the mandatory deductions. More profit, this means more corporate tax (IS), higher wages, better social security contributions and income tax (IR), etc.. But according to the type of growth, the correlation is stronger or weaker.

The economy of the early 2000s, characterized by a housing boom, was particularly conducive to tax revenue. And transfer taxes, a tax on real estate transactions, they reported to local authorities 9.6 billion in 2007, against 4.7 billion in 2000. The revenues of the ISF have almost doubled (2.2 billion in 2000, 4 billion in 2007). "Growth was also driven by household spending. A boon to the State whose main tax, VAT, sits on consumption, "adds Jean-Christophe Caffet. Finally, the SI was doped up to 2007 by record profits of banks. In a 2008 report, Philippe Marini, then general reporter (UMP) of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke of the hypothesis of a "bubble" of € 10 billion on tax burden.

"Adjustment Period"

A bubble that broke with the financial crisis. Scarce, taxes and social contributions decreased in 2009. The IS has collapsed, yielding 21 billion in 2009 against 51 billion in 2007. Since then, the tax burden returned to their pre-crisis level, with the exception of the SI (39 billion in 2011). "But if there had been no crisis, levies would exceed 23 billion that they are today. There is indeed a structural loss of revenue, "said Mathilde Lemoine, director of economic studies of HSBC.

In addition, revenues will not recover their train of yesteryear. "The growth model due to housing boom and strong consumer is finished. We have entered a period of adjustment, where wages will rise slightly. VAT, transfer duties, but also social contributions will grow less quickly, "said Jean-Christophe Caffet. So over the spontaneous surge of revenues, as before 2007. That's why taxpayers are involved since 2010. And if the economic growth forecast by the candidates was not at the rendezvous, higher taxes might be higher than 50 billion program of Francois Hollande and 16 billion provided by Nicolas Sarkozy.

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It is defined as a 'detective' Made in France '. " Sylvain Lescot, 33 years and commercial training, launched in December the site-Référence.fr France, with the ambition to "establish the habit of buying citizen." Specifically, this merchant, whose product catalog spans four themes (home, toys and entertainment, multimedia and gastronomy), offers users to compare one product with its foreign equivalent, manufactured in France. Thus, facing the mixer "Soup Maker" Cuisinart product in the U.S. and priced at 199.50 euros, it suggests to the consumer to buy the "Soup & Co" Moulinex to 229.90 euros. Salt and pepper to the duo Automatic One Touch range (29.90 euros), made in China, he opposes the salt mill Peugeot "Bistro natural" (16.50 euros).  

The concept is in tune with the times: 42.3% of French people think that promoting products "Made in France" should be a priority in the presidential campaign, according to a study site Testntrust. Or, buy French is often an obstacle course. Mentions on the origin of components and place of manufacture on the labels abound, sometimes inducing the consumer. "The offer on the shelves is a jungle," said Sylvain Lescot, that "the French do not know in general that there are local equivalents to foreign products the best known." With the exception of certain areas, such as multimedia or television, in which there is almost no offer purely French. To select products, France-Référence.fr is based on criteria adopted by the association Pro France, which manages the label "Origin France Guarantee ', the main requirement being that at least 50% of the value added product is produced in the Hexagon free business cards.

90% of products are purchased French

While websites offering a selection of products "Made in France" multiply, France-Référence.fr claims its status online retailers. "The consumer is free to choose the foreign product, we also have in stock," says Sylvain Lescot. "We respect the individual tastes and budgets." If the French massively plébiscitent local products, the price point is important in these times of crisis. Only 49% of them are willing to pay more, the last notes of the brand Observatory France. A concern that shade Sylvain Lescot. "While some French products can be twice as expensive than their foreign counterparts, others have a price lower than 20%."

Still, with this system of comparison, the offer tricolor appears to be doing on the game-Référence.fr France, 90% of the products purchased are French, welcomes its founder. "The 'Made in France' is not a utopia, but a way of future consumption," wants to believe. Therefore, after investing nearly 60,000 euros in building his company, the latter provides a second phase investment of 100,000 euros in the next three months to boost its offer of 300 references to over 1000. France-Référence.fr be able to respond to a request which, according to forecasts by Sylvain Lescot, should quickly jump from 5 to 50 orders per day.

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The call to strike by three unions (CGT, CFDT and UNSA) air traffic controllers will cancel and delay several flights to Orly and some regional airports. At Air France, which opened two new bases Sunday in Toulouse and Nice, we ensure that customers affected by these disturbances have already been informed by SMS or e-mail. "All flight information is available the day before departure and updates in real time" on the website or via smartphone applications. The company says that there will be no cancellation of your from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, otherwise some delays.

For its part, easyJet has already canceled 16 flights Monday to departure or arrival airport Orly and advises all passengers to "check the status of their flights regularly." In all, the airlines had to remove 20% of their flights on Mondays and Tuesdays departing or arriving at Orly need a personal loan with bad credit.

Eighteen flights have already been canceled at Lyon Saint-Exupery. These flights come from or go to Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Pau and Metz.

The unions called the strike to oppose a plan to restructure air traffic control services in the provinces, which would imply a decline in numbers. Air traffic controllers, agents of the public service, have an obligation to provide minimum services. However, if the strike notice is required, the strikers did not have to declare individually 48 hours in advance, as is the case for railway or recently for pilots and stewards.

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A first in the presidential campaign. Seven of the ten candidates have succeeded on Thursday on the same stage: that of the 66th Congress of the FNSEA in Montpellier (Hérault). Only the far left was missing, including Jean-Luc Melenchon.

All candidates have outlined three major challenges. First, that of the environment, including the management of water, while the French countryside lack of rain for the second consecutive year. Nicolas Sarkozy promised a simplification of administrative authorizations: "It is enough of a preliminary statement" to build dams for irrigation of crops, "up to 350,000 m3." Other candidates have called for better water management. "We're going to crises increasingly frequent and difficult," warned François Bayrou. Also on the environmental component, Francois Hollande has put forward the alternative energy sources. "Biogas, biofuel, biomass, these are new sources of energy and new income for farmers, said the PS candidate. We must share these investments. We will adopt a tax incentive. "

Secondly, virtually consensual: the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "I welcome the positive signs that the new CAP takes with keeping its budget. Aids represent fair compensation for the farmer to a policy of low prices to the consumer ", ruled Francois Bayrou. Marine Le Pen is the only advocate a judgment of the CAP in favor of a "PAF" (French agricultural policy), that is to say a re-nationalization of aid. "I am here to defend the interests of French gardeners and French consumers. I do not want a Europe which includes agricultural servant of the WTO, "warned the leading frontist. The sovereigntist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan demanded "firm renegotiation of the CAP because we pay $ 7 billion more to the EU budget that we receive."

Reduction in the hourly cost

Finally, the third item listed, competitiveness. France is now the third largest in Europe in trade of agricultural and food products, behind Germany and the Netherlands. "There must be logical and contractual solidarity, to be more competitive. This will be the sense of public investment bank that will support the development of SMEs in the food industry, pleaded Francois Hollande. We will develop a collective and not individual contract between farmers and manufacturers, allowing visibility of volumes but also the prices. "

Nicolas Sarkozy has defended his hand down the cost schedule adopted under his five-year seasonal and the permanent employees that will result from the social VAT. "97% of agricultural workers are covered by a 5.4% decrease in payroll taxes," he repeated. As for the little candidate Jacques Cheminade, which boasts a history of commercial counselor of France in New York, he is committed to "put innovation and research at the center of the debate on agriculture to meet the challenge of 2050, that of feeding 9 billion of men. "

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Here the French have six new channels which will be launched next fall on their screens. The Higher Audiovisual Council has indeed make its decision after weeks of suspense: HD1 (TF1), 6TER (M6), L'Equipe TV (Amaury Group), RMC Discovery (NextRadioTV), Cherie HD (NRJ) and diversity come tYou then enrich the current offer of 19 free channels.

The regulator has chosen, through this new offering, to reinforce the historical groups such as TF1 and M6 and strengthen those who made their debut in 2005 in television and are shown in good students, c ' ie groups and NRJ NextRadioTV. This is economic prudence that guided the wise men of the nine Tour Mirabeau in this new spectrum allocation.

But the wireless landscape is also open to new themes and new competition. The Team with HD, the French will be able to access the first sports channel for free. Enough to enable the latter who experienced the greatest difficulties exist in the depths of cable and satellite to survive and not to close shop.

TYou chain diversity is itself the only one not to be owned by a media group. It brings together financiers and businessmen (Xavier Niel, Francois Henri Pinault) seduced by the ideal one to showcase the diversity. The choice of the CSA is easily explained when we know the care that its members and its president Michel Boyon brought about diversity.

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