All World

Competitiveness: the opinions of four contractors

CLAUDE TAR: "I will lose market"

CEO of Ultralu, specializing in scaffolding, member of the movement Ethic.

"Since I started my business in 1988, I am facing problems due to the rigidity of employment. Like many entrepreneurs, I have suffered the brunt of the crisis. The shock was brutal since 2008 should be a year of strong expansion. I predicted a 30% increase in sales and I hired six people. In our business, it is necessary to train an employee for six months to make it operational.

The crisis caused a 20% drop in sales. The six people hired have become an unbearable burden for the company. I had to part with it. Unfortunately, no administrative delays allowed me to do that in 2009 when the company had posted a loss of 50,000 euros in 2008. A dismissal for economic reasons cost me 40,000 euros.

After having recovered in 2010, my company was again able to be increasing. So I could rehire taking a risk because nobody can be sure that a new crisis will not occur. I will not do. I decided to retain the current workforce by stabilizing my figure and therefore of losing markets.

I chose this solution because the bankers who supported me in 2008 and 2009 will not understand if I do not learn from previous years. I can not take the risk of disappearing. "

CHRISTOPHER Collignon: "Let the air companies'

COO call center IMA Technologies, a subsidiary of Inter Mutual Assistance. Member of the Young Business Leaders, it animates the ethics commission and good practices Medef 44.

"We manage with existing regulations. We strive to meet everyone's expectations respecting the law and to the extent that this does not hamper production. We allow people who want to work at 60% to do so. Half the members of the Executive Committee are women who have decided to work at 80%. We also set up the working time of three people who wanted to start their own business. Any record created a strange atmosphere. But it is not possible to work more to earn more. The law does not permit an employee to work ten hours more if desired. We must let air companies and employees so they can negotiate their working hours.

I regularly discuss this topic with other entrepreneurs. It is important that leaders speak truth with employee representatives. I have set up agreements tests. It is also important that people can choose the working time. Someone may need to work 35 hours at a time and 39 hours to another. Our needs are not the same at 20, 40 or 60. It requires both trust and be realistic and do not forget one reality: the first objective of the company is to generate profits. "

Stanislas de Bentzmann "Managers have to work longer"

Co-CEO of the IT services company Devoteam, vice president of the employers' association Growth Plus.

"Policy makers plan to increase taxation frameworks to solve the budget problem, while the subject lies in structuring the value creation for the country. French managers take eight weeks and a half of vacation per year on average, five weeks against the rest of Europe. It is possible for a factory employee working over 35 hours thanks to the tax exemption of overtime, but this flexibility can not be applied to frames. But they are the ones who drop out contracts that run factories.

This is not only problematic for the industry, it is also for services. Service companies who work in large groups on international markets, because of RTT among other things, higher production costs than their competitors German or Italian. We must change the rules and give companies the ability to adapt to customer needs. Feasible by allowing businesses to reach agreement directly with employees, who are winners on both sides. France can accelerate its dynamic economy and reduce its debts if managers are willing to work longer, at least for the next five years. "

JEAN-RENÉ BOIDRON: "Being able to depart from the law"

President of the DL Health software company, President of the Social Committee of Growth Plus.

"It is absurd to impose the same working time everywhere. The unraveling of 35 hours has its limits. To meet their particular situation, companies need to discuss with staff representatives on the duration of working time and if necessary within the law or an industrial agreement. It is a matter of survival for many companies in the services, on the verge of suffocation, and whose turnover is correlated with working time. In from 39 to 35 hours, these companies have lost up to 10% of their turnover and nearly as many results. The rise in working time is their only option. For others, the decline in working hours can help through a difficult – while giving assurances to employees who must find more than their implementation, once the recovery of the acquired business.

These solutions are only possible with a quality relationship between an employer and its representatives. Otherwise I would have filed for bankruptcy in my previous company in 2001. Attitudes have evolved. Since 2008, the conventional termination showed that one could consider an employer and an employee adult enough to solve a problem. Have confidence in the company of actors to find solutions when it comes to saving jobs. "

In one day, the U.S. national debt has grown from 55.8 billion. Results on Tuesday it reached 15,033.6 billion, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. She is now 99% of GDP forecast by the White House for all of 2011.

This debt had crossed upwards the threshold of 10 000 billion in September 2008. Since then, the United States earn one trillion additional debt every seven and a half months on average. Pace violently denounced by the Republican opposition accusing President Obama of being solely responsible.If nothing comes of these discussions before November 23, the law provides for the automatic implementation, from 2013, cuts in government spending, divided equally between defense spending and the remaining costs.

Pessimistic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its latest "monitor public finances" dated September, the public debt of the United States would reach 100% of GDP at the end of the year, 105% in 2012, and continue to increase up to 115% in 2016.

ALSO READ:

"Obama addresses the U.S. budget deficit

"United States: flaws in the plan of the last hour

Estoppel to potential buyers of SeaFrance. The Commercial Court of Paris on Monday gave the liquidation of the French company SeaFrance ferries in the Channel, but now the activity until January 28, 2012. The court found that the two takeover bids submitted by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), associated with the Danish DFDS group, and the CFDT union in the enterprise, were not satisfactory as it stands. However, he left the door open for the submission of new offers before December 12.

SeaFrance employs 880 permanent employees and 200 CDD, according seasons. The plan proposed by the LDA-tandem DFDS provided for the protection of 460 FTE jobs, maintaining SeaFrance under the French flag, the recovery of three ships 5 million and an investment of 50 million for repairs to boats guaranteed approval cash loans.The Scop defended by the CFDT plans to retain all CDI but he lacked the funds needed to boost activity.

Risk of "social conflict" and funding "nonexistent"

In its ruling, the court held that the supply of Dreyfus, associated with the Danish DFDS ferries group, provided many job losses and that "there are (VAIT) is a risk of serious social conflict." He also found the price offered for the recovery of ships too low and suggested that this recovery could pose competition concerns.

Wall Street finished sharply lower on Wednesday. At the close, the Dow Jones yields 3.18% to 11,783.59 points, the Nasdaq 3.88% to 2621.65 loose points and the S & P 500 was down 3.67% to 1229.12 points.

The rates of Italian government bonds soar

Announced the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi has clearly not been enough to reassure long-term markets. In Europe, stock markets, which had initially welcomed the news quickly made an about face. The distrust of the Italian public debt continues to grow, in fact. The Italian 10-year rate rose to over 7%, a new record level and a completely untenable for the country, given the weight of its debt. For its part, Brussels ruled that the Italian situation was "very worrying". At the same time, the spread between government bonds and German to French reached a new peak at 1.47%.

In Greece, things also accelerating.Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced his resignation but did not mention the name of his successor will not be announced until Thursday. A further meeting of party leaders was convened by the President.

On the macroeconomic front, crude oil inventories fell 1.4 million barrels to 338.1 million barrels during the week ended Nov. 4. Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a rise rather 700,000 barrels.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro fell sharply against the dollar on Wednesday. The euro was worth 1.3552 dollars against 1.3836 dollars late Tuesday. Oil prices ended down more than 1% in New York tonight. On the Nymex, the December contract on West Texas Intermediate (WTI) ended on a loss of $ 1.06, or 1.1%, to 95.74 dollars a barrel. Meanwhile, Brent yielded 2.23%, or 2.56 dollars to 112.48 dollars.

Spain is in the focus of agencies

New blow for the euro area. After Fitch, it was the turn of Standard & Poor's to break down a notch credit rating of Spain, which changes to "AA-". The rating agency also maintains a negative outlook on the country. In other words, a further downgrade of the country can not be excluded.

The agency believes that financial services' growth prospects are uncertain "because of" increasing risks "facing the economy. The agency referred in particular to "the incomplete reform of the labor market will continue to hinder economic recovery." In the view of S & P, Spain could fall into recession next year, with GDP expected down 0 guaranteed pay day loans.5%.

The fragility of the financial system is also the Achilles heel of the fourth largest economy in the eurozone.S & P is concerned and "a probable further deterioration of asset quality of the Spanish financial system."

The agency also questioned the budgetary targets of the Zapatero government. The Spanish public deficit forecast at 6.2% of GDP for 2011 could be exceeded. As for reducing the deficit to 4.4% of GDP in 2012, it will not be possible without "additional measures".

ALSO READ:

"Fear of recession the country will fare

Slovak vote weighs on the Paris Stock Exchange

The Paris Bourse is down on Wednesday. The CAC 40 lost 0.90% in the early morning to 3125.97 points. As on Wall Street and in Asia this morning, traders react to the strengthening of the Slovak non-European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF). This decision increases the risk of paralysis in the euro zone, while the French and German leaders have promised a plan to end the crisis before November.

Slovakia is the only one of 17 countries in the euro area has not ratified the agreement of July 21 the European governments, which plans to give the EFSF new powers including increasing its lending capacity to 440 billion euros.Bratislava, however, raised the possibility of a second vote in Parliament, in which the opposition Social Democrats would support the strengthening of EFSF, but no date has been set for the eventual election.

Regarding the Greek case, the inspectors of the "troika" announced Tuesday it had completed their assessment of the austerity measures taken by Greece. These must still be endorsed by the euro area and the IMF, which should allow Athens to receive a new tranche of aid in early November. But nothing is less certain. The IMF is more pessimistic about the future of Greece. "The recession will be deeper than anticipated in June and a recovery is now expected that from 2013," said he.

The results of Alcoa concern

Another source of pessimism: Alcoa, which sent a new signal concern on global growth.The largest U.S. aluminum, opening the ball across the Atlantic Publications, reported Tuesday a quarterly profit below expectations. Group CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld, anticipates slower growth until the end of the year.

Also in the commodities sector, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) also gave evidence of a slowdown in the global economy by scaling back its forecast for global demand for crude in 2011 and 2012 for the third consecutive month. The barrel of "light sweet crude" for November delivery lost $ 1.04 in electronic trading this morning at 84.77 dollars. Barrel of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery gave 74 cents to 109.99 dollars.

As for currencies, the euro stabilized against the greenback despite the Slovak vote.The single currency is worth 1.3630 dollars this morning.

In France, INSEE has announced that consumer prices fell by 0.1% in September from the previous month and rose 2.2% year on year. Industrial production in the euro area will be known by late morning.

Values ​​to follow

Natixis (-2.81% to 2.35 euros), Dexia (0.14% to 0.81 euros)

Fitch affirmed the A + Group BCPE (People's Bank – Savings Bank) and its subsidiary Natixis. The agency also announced it has lowered the long-term rating of Dexia Bank Belgium from A + to A and affirmed the rating of Dexia to A +.

Credit Agricole (-1.60% to 5.35 euros), BNP Paribas (0.80% to 33.71 euros), Natixis (-3.47% to 2.34 euros)

The Societe Generale analyst lowered his recommendation to buy to keep on Credit Agricole with a target price of 5.5 euros and noted its board to keep BNP Paribas to purchase with a target price of 37 euros.The analyst went on sale on Natixis with a target price of 5.6 euros.

ArcelorMittal (-1.29% to 13.82 euros)

The group could be affected by the release of disappointing Alcoa.

Vilmorin (-0.55% to 72.80 euros)

The group is a slight decline in organic growth of the new fiscal year 2011-2012 due to uncertain economic conditions and the impact of weather in the summer of his crops of maize seed.

Transgene (-1.85% to 7.97 euros)

The group intends to continue the clinical development of its TG4040 against hepatitis C infection, the drug has met its primary efficacy endpoint in spite of severe side effects.

Plastic Omnium (-1.64% A17, 99 euros)

Plastic Omnium Auto Exterior, 100% subsidiary of Compagnie Plastic Omnium, has signed an agreement for the acquisition of 100% Plastal Poland."This agreement is subject to the approval of competition authorities of Poland," the group wrote in a statement.

Areva (-2.13% to 22.02 euros)

Luc Oursel, CEO of the group, will be heard at 10 am by the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. According to a parliamentary report stage, the nuclear expert may have to include new provisions in its accounts to meet the costs of the Finnish EPR.

Foncière Paris France (0.50% to 100.50 euros)

The Board of Directors of Foncière Paris France (FPF) on Wednesday rejected the takeover offer filed by October 7 Paris Vaugirard Hotels Roissy (PHRV).31.4% owned by Allianz, 31.4% and 31.1% Covéa Cofitem-COFIMUR, PHRV offer 100 euros per share, a premium of about 8% to the closing price the day before the offer .

Lagardère (-1.16% to 19.17 euros), EADS (-2.19% to 21.92 euros)

According to BFM on Wednesday, Arnaud Lagardère began to establish conditions to lead the board of the group.It gives Airbus souhiate real certainty about the development of the A350 program.

NextRadioTV radio (-1.8% to 10.85 euros)

HSBC raised its recommendation on Wednesday as underweight to overweight, preferring that value to NRJ.

Air France-KLM (-1.28% to 5.30 euros)

Transport Minister Thierry Mariani implicitly confirmed Wednesday the next appointment of Alexander Juniac, former chief of staff Christine Lagarde at the Ministry of Finance, the General Manager of the airline.

Ipsos (0.75% to 25.49 euros)

The French specialist market research has completed the acquisition of British rival Synovate, based on an enterprise value (including debt) of 525 million pounds (596 million), he announced Wednesday.

Casino has released its sales for the third quarter after-hours trading.

ALSO READ:

"CRISIS SPECIAL – Fear of debt

Low morale in Asian stock markets

Good humor gives way to doubts about the Asian stock markets. This Friday, the main financial centers in the region are displayed in red, the footsteps of Wall Street yesterday. The U.S. stock market ended the session on a sharp decline, investors who do not wish to comment before publication of the monthly employment by the Department of Labour. Moreover, indicators were mixed deleted the enthusiasm that had allowed the NYSE to chain four sessions of consecutive increase. While manufacturing is still growing and the weekly jobless claims fell, construction spending and productivity fell. In addition, the White House has lowered its growth forecasts.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei has started on the day down 0.89% and has cut its losses during the day.At closing, he gave up 1.21% to 8950.74 points, plunging below 9,000 points reached Thursday. The Topix, wider, has sold 1.09% to 769.78 points. In addition to disturbing signs in the U.S., traders took the opportunity to take profits after six consecutive sessions of gains. Side values, the technology sector, which had supported the coast yesterday, is now under attack. Sony lost 4.30%, 5.12% TDK, Sharp 1.57%. Toyota and Honda respectively lost 1.74% and 2.35% after poor sales figures in the United States.

Note also in Japan the establishment of the new government. The new prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, awarded the finance portfolio to a member relative novice, Jun Azumi, 49, and former host of the public broadcaster NHK low fee payday advance. Yoshio Hachiro, a former member of the Social Democratic Party, was appointed Minister of Commerce.Motohisa Furukawa, a former adviser to the Ministry of Finance, will be economy minister.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 1.32%. The Internet sector is also battered the image of Lenovo (-1.53%) and Alibaba.com (-2.37%). In Shanghai, the Shanghai Composite was down 1.28%. In Hong Kong,

In Korea, the Kospi drops 0.82%. The S & P Australian loose 1.42%, weighed down by mining. BHP, trucks from the coast, losing 1.83% while Rio Tinto was down 1.26%. Only the Indian Sensex remains in the green, up 0.63%.

Oil mixed

Oil prices were mixed on their part Friday morning in electronic trading in Asia, where the market wait before issuing the monthly report on employment in the United States, and while approaching the U.S. coast the violent disturbance, Katia.In the Gulf of Mexico, which supplies a quarter of the production of black gold in the United States, BP, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell began evacuating their staff from oil platforms. In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in October lost 2 cents to 88.91 dollars per barrel of Brent North Sea crude for October delivery gained 19 cents to 114.48 dollars.

Riots in London, the press questioned the role of the BlackBerry

The day after a second night of riots in the suburbs of London, the British press is concerned about the impact of new technologies in organizing rallies. If the use of Twitter and Facebook was highlighted during Arab riots in recent months, a new player is on Monday stormed the British media: the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), who played a key role in events.

BBM is a service available only on BlackBerry brand phones, allowing users to exchange messages for free via the Internet, and not through the telephone network. Messages can be exchanged only if both corresponding to communicate their personal code (PIN) before.The interception of messages by a third party, or by the police is complicated.

The principle of BBM is similar to that of SMS, to the last detail BBM messages that cost nothing. One argument that has made the BlackBerry smartphone's favorite British adolescents (37%), according to a study cited by the Guardian. For The Urban Blog Mashup, taken by the Telegraph, BBM is very popular among young 'for three reasons: it's fast, it's free, and unlike Facebook or Twitter, the messages exchanged are completely private. " .

"The gangs have been using BlackBerry for organizing the riots"

"The device, previously reserved for businessmen and politicians, are now the preserve of thugs and young (…) through this application," says the Telegraph.The conservative daily notes and Mark Duggan, the young man whose death was the cause of the night of riots in Tottenham, had sent a message via BBM to his girlfriend shortly before being shot by police. "The message said: 'The cops follow me,'" wrote the daily.

"The gangs have been using BlackBerry for organizing the riots," says the Telegraph. A Guardian journalist is in the same direction, explaining that "many sources (him) confirmed that BBM, inciting to raid the town of Enfield, was heavily circulated on the BlackBerry network Sunday early afternoon noon ". The journalist claims to have read other messages about plundering six other districts in north London on Monday night. "There is no doubt that BBM is used to organize the violence."

The BBC website, he does not deny the use of BBM in the events of the weekend, minimizing its impact."While smartphones have helped those who participated in the riots, they were certainly not convinced those who were not interested to join rallies," writes the site based on the analysis of Dr. Chris Greer, Professor of Sociology and Criminology at City University in London. For its part, RIM, the manufacturer of BlackBerry phones, said Monday in the evening he would "cooperate fully with the Interior Ministry and the British police force."

British police monitors Twitter users

Scotland Yard warned on Monday that it would arrest any person to become involved in urban riots on Twitter. "Provocative and inappropriate messages were posted on Twitter" during the weekend, said the British police.The Times cites several messages such as "Everyone at Tottenham n **** the police, I hope that there will be a dead tonight" (the message has since been deleted).

For its part, the Telegraph has collected pictures of rioters and that of a young man posing in front of several games he had stolen during the violence. "Do you know? Send us an email if you have any information, "wrote the site, without specifying for what purpose he seeks to know the identity of these people.

Axa was less affected by Greece that the banks

A nice trading day for Axa. The title of the insurer took 4% to 10 o'clock Thursday morning while the CAC 40 is given a little air, with an increase of 0.45%. Investors welcomed the good half done by the insurer that has quadrupled (324%) profit to 3.99 billion euros.

This performance is significantly higher than the expectations of analysts who had expected an average net profit of 3.7 billion. But Axa has mostly benefited from a favorable base effect. The increase in net income is in fact supported by exceptional gains of 1.44 billion euros from the sale of the 15.6% of Veolia capital of the life insurer China Life Taikang and the sale of its New Zealand and Australia."In this environment (of European debt crisis), we publish the results are good, satisfactory and show Axa's fine," said CFO Gerald Harlin, during a conference call.

Confirmation of the Plan 2015

The insurer stands in relation to banks about the impact of the Greek crisis on its accounts no faxing payday loans. While the financial cost runs into hundreds of millions for BNP Paribas (850 million), Crédit Agricole (650 million) and 395 million to Société Générale, Axa has placed "only" 92 million euros in provisions for impairment assets in its bond portfolio of the Greek state.

In contrast, exposure of the insurer in Italy, estimated at 6 billion euros against 300 million for Greece, is much more important."We are confident that Italy is absolutely the means to repay its debt, simply that the European institutions give a stronger signal of support towards Italy for the markets calm down," said Denis Duverne, the deputy CEO of Axa Business on BFM radio.

If the macroeconomic environment remains uncertain because of the turmoil in financial markets, the CEO of Axa, Henri de Castries is "confident". It provides Axa is on track to achieve its 2015 targets.

ECB prepares to raise rates in July

As expected, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, meeting Thursday in Frankfurt, has left unchanged its interest rates. However Jean-Claude Trichet sought to prepare the minds of an increase in July. "Overall, the risks to price stability are on the upside, and a strong vigilance is therefore warranted," said the president of the ECB at the press conference that followed. In the coded language of Frankfurt, a "strong vigilance" is the conventional signal to indicate a rate hike next month."Right now we still believe that the July increase will last (this year)," said Jonathan Loynes, however, the chief economist for Europe of Capital Economics.

Jean-Claude Trichet has not sought to exaggerate the danger of inflation: "The upward pressure on inflation (is) mainly due to energy prices and raw materials," he admitted. Markets have noted that the ECB had not raised its forecast of rising consumer prices for 2012, which remain in the range of 1.1% to 2.3%. This status quo, compared to previous estimates of last March, has contributed to a decline of the euro vis-à-vis the dollar.

In terms of economic growth forecasts have been revised slightly upwards for 2011 (from 1.5% to 2.3%), the range for 2012 is particularly large (between 0.6% and 2.8 %)."Uncertainty remains high," commented Jean-Claude Trichet installment payday loans.

No "default"

It was also expected on Greece, "after the procession of contradictory statements from finance ministers, who have unfortunately contributed to widen interest rate spreads on sovereign debt in the euro area in recent weeks," regrets a market economy. The ECB President was extremely strong. "It would be a great mistake" than engaging in a debt restructuring, "he insisted. "Our position is clear and we served on European governments" no "credit event", no "default". The ECB considers that Greece would be closed permanently while the financing markets.

"We exclude any participation of private creditors who would not volunteer (from them), he only conceded.He however refused to say what would the ECB on securities it has in its balance sheet (between 60 and 70 billion euros), if private investors decided to extend the maturity of their claims.

In a less dramatic, the college of 27 governors took action on the succession of its chairman, in the form of a statement. "The governors did not Councilof objectionable to the proposed candidate, Mario Draghi, who is a person of recognized standing and professional experience in monetary or banking matters."