Posts Tagged ‘work’

Obama has failed to reassure Wall Street

August 9, 2011 - 11:04 am Comments Off

At the opening of Wall Street, U.S. indices posted immediately red (around 3%). And losses have widened throughout the session. Accentuating even further their descent, the indices have hurt Barack Obama's speech, who spoke to 20 hours Paris time, the Nasdaq has lost more than 6.5% shortly after the speech. And bad mood has not dimmed until the closing bell on the contrary, the end of the session was sprotive. Finally, the Dow Jones appears falling from 5.55% to 10,809.85 points. This is the first time since October that the index feature finishes below 11,000 points, its worst day in percentage terms since December 2008, a dark period for the financial sector.

The Nasdaq, even punished, won 6.90% to 2357.69 points, while the S & P tumbles 6.66% to 1119.46 points.On Monday, European markets have dropped out late in the session, while the Asian markets, have also, finished the day on heavy folds.

When Barack Obama spoke in an attempt to reassure the markets, investors do not stop selling. Worse, they pressed the pedal and drop is even more markets. "The United States still deserve note 'AAA'," said Monday night during a speech Barack Obama, on the downgrade of U.S. debt Friday by the rating agency Standard and Poor's. The U.S. president also defended the credit of the United States but acknowledged a deficit problem. Barack Obama, however, that the economic challenge was surmountable but require political will.

Nothing to do."The deterioration in the rating of the United States is clearly the catalyst for the drop in markets today, but is not the reason, according to Michael Sheldon, chief strategy officer at RDM Financial. Degradation is simply evidence that the U.S. has problems. "

Note that in Latin America, falls are breathtaking. Financial center of Sao Paulo (-8%) and Buenos Aires (-10.73%) plunged. In Chile, the Santiago Stock Exchange (-6.96%) did not record such a decline for 13 years. In Lima, a decline of 7.03% has even led to a suspension of trading an hour before closing.

Gold still a step higher, oil falls below $ 82

Witness the panic in the markets, gold has posted yet another record high and rose 4.25% to 1722 dollars an ounce at 20:30, before returning to 1717 dollars to 22 hours.Oil, however, has dropped by more than 6% Monday in New York, their lowest levels since November. On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery finished the session at 81.31 dollars, down 5.57 dollars or 6.4% on Friday.

Paradoxically, U.S. bond rates continue to decline, those same 10 years falling by 8.5% melting at 2.339% against 2.558% Friday. Good to 30 years returned to 3.663% against 3.823%. However, after degradation much faster than expected by Standard & Poor's sovereign rating of the United States, which had never been subjected to such a penalty could have been expected to climb no faxing payday loans.Sign that investors still believe that the U.S. still refer to the bond market.

Moody's said Monday it could, too, by 2013 reduce the debt rating of the United States if the fiscal and economic outlook deteriorated sharply. But she considers it possible in the meantime a new agreement in Washington to reduce the deficit.

Menu macro loaded, with the FOMC in dish

This week, the lower macroeconomic indicator to take the pulse of a threatened U.S. growth will be expected to turn to investors.

From Tuesday, the productivity of U.S. companies in the second quarter and will be scrutinized closely. The risk is to see it getting more than expected, resulting in a logical breakdown of the job. Consumer confidence is also on the menu.But the final communique of the Monetary Policy Committee of the U.S. Federal Reserve (FOMC), from that Tuesday night will go to the most crucial.

Analysts and investors are wondering already if further monetary easing, (3 or quantitative easing "EQ3") can get out. Unless it is an aid to banks, which could begin to experience problems of interbank liquidity, which is preferred. "In all cases, the reaction of short-term market is very uncertain …" says it does at Aurel BGC.

Friday, retail sales will be the second major economic meeting a week at high risk on financial markets worldwide. "The sales figures published by the values ​​of the S & P 500 were clearly disappointing July, underline in this respect analysts Aurel BGC.But the report shows significant employment job creation in the distribution. A figure that looks very uncertain. " The trade balance in June should also be well attended.

Bank of America falls 20%

Meanwhile, the business side, the publications of interim results are less numerous and can only remember very little attention to markets, obsessed by the European and U.S. sovereign debt. Walt Disney reveals in particular accounts on Tuesday, ahead of Cisco in the matter and News Corp (Wednesday) and Nordstrom, Sara Lee, and Kohls (Thursday), and finally JC Penney (Friday).

American International Group (AIG: -9.92% to 22.61 dollars) continues Bank of America (-20.07% to 6.53 dollars), calling him more than $ 10 billion (7 billion euros) losses related to mortgages, it said in the text of the complaint.According to this document, which Reuters obtained a copy, AIG believes it was misled by the bank about securities backed by mortgages, which caused losses. The insurer wants to sue Bank of America to the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Manhattan.

The EU investigation into a cartel in the luxury watches

August 5, 2011 - 9:44 pm Comments Off

After considering the price of flour in supermarkets and those of certain financial products, the European Commission is vigilant in fine watchmaking. The competition regulator on Friday launched an investigation into the agreements and dominant positions among manufacturers of luxury watches, trying to see if they have agreed to refuse to supply spare parts to independent repairers.

"The Commission informed the parties concerned and the competition authorities of the Member States of the opening of the proceedings in this case," said the European Commission in a statement.

The investigation follows a complaint filed in 2004 by the European Confederation of Associations of watch repairers (CEAHR) for alleged violation of competition rules of the European Union.Multi-brand repairers had indeed used to make many of the repairs of luxury watches. But from 2002, according to CEAHR, manufacturers of luxury watches began to refuse to supply spare parts to multi-brand repairers who were not part of their repair networks. The CEAHR therefore seeks the condemnation of the practice, saying it could force independent repairers to put the key under the door.

The European competition regulator rejected its complaint in 2008 for lack of Community interest. Then the decision was overturned by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in December 2010. This does not prevent the European Commission to be cautious about this.She stresses that the opening of an investigation does not mean it already has evidence about the existence of an offense. And yet, no manufacturer of luxury watches is specifically under investigation.

Rating agencies decrypted

July 8, 2011 - 6:24 am Comments Off

• What are they? Rating agencies are tasked, in theory, to assess independently the risk of bankruptcy or non payment of an economic issuing debt securities such as bonds. Clearly, they inform investors of their risk if they lend themselves to such corporation or such State. They each have a rating scale ranging from AAA (triple A) to CCC.

The score is after work for analyzing economic and financial figures and results from a collective decision of the agency's analysts. This is an opinion, say the agencies, not a recommendation to buy or sell a security or a share of a company.

• The impact of the notes. Rating, reflecting the risk of bankruptcy of a company or a state, however, has taken a very important rated entities and investors.For states and businesses alike, a note degraded resulting in an increase in interest rates. So when they want to borrow, it costs more.

Investors should in turn may sell certain debt securities to meet internal and financial regulations. A portfolio manager consists of obligations and will maintain a balance between built-risky securities and less risky. If a portion of its securities, such as Greek bonds, for example, is degraded, it will have to part for not only its portfolio becomes too risky.

• Who owns the agency? Moody's is an American company listed and independently owned up to 13% by billionaire Warren Buffett. Fitch is majority owned by French financial company Fimalac, founded by Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere and 20% of the group Hearst.Standard & Poor's is owned by U.S. publisher McGraw-Hill Companies.

• Who pays? "Typically, a rating agency is paid by the entities who want to receive a note or those that use the note" on a subscription basis, says Standard & Poor's. 2009 according to the scale of the latter for the United States, a large company must pay at least $ 70,000 at the beginning of the rating process, then a subscription of "surveillance" amounting to about half the original amount cash advances pay day loan. Each time it will issue the debt markets, it will perform in addition to a commission of 0.045% of the transaction. The amounts are similar in Europe.

Today, about 90% of revenue comes from credit rating agencies rated entities, is Norbert Gaillard, in his book "The rating agencies' published in The Discovery.

• Conflicts of interest.The crisis "subprime" mortgages at risk, has highlighted the limitations of the current agencies. Paid by companies that want to be noted, agencies are sometimes tempted to assign a higher rating than actually deserved to win a contract to the detriment of its other two competitors.

A former analyst at Moody's, Mark Froeb, has launched scathing attacks against his former employer before the Commission of Inquiry on the financial crisis in the U.S. Senate. "When I left Moody's (2008, Ed), the worst fear of one analyst was not necessarily something that would jeopardize the market share of Moody's, to cause harm to its sales ( …) and losing his job accordingly, "he complained. However, an analyst should only concern "to contribute to a rating that would be false."

• Agencies very profitable.With the increasing complexity of financial markets, the agencies argue that it is becoming increasingly expensive to analyze the risk of failure of economic actors. Therefore, in the 70's, they began to charge companies to notaient.

This business model provides a very high cost to agencies. Moody's expects an operating margin (operating profit to net sales) of between 38% and 40% in 2011. Standard & Poor's 43% in the first quarter of 2011 alone and Fitch 58% for the year 2010/2011 shifted.

Greece: The Cac 40 believes in good news

June 28, 2011 - 2:04 pm Comments Off

As the successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head the International Monetary Fund could be announced this Tuesday – Christine Lagarde is the favorite – Greece has decided to strike until the vote of the austerity plan by the Greek Parliament should occur by Thursday. However, it seems, according to analysts that the markets are betting on good news. The euro area would have a backup in case of a negative vote.

So, in the wake of Wall Street Monday closed sharply higher, Bourse de Paris amplifies gains the previous day. The Cac 11 hours 40prend to 0.77% at 3825.83 points.

On the currency markets, the euro is stable against the dollar at 1.4279 dollar.For their part, oil prices rebounded in electronic trading in Asia Tuesday and remained under pressure, before the 48-hour strike in Greece to the appeal of unions to protest against austerity measures, analysts said . In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in August gained 36 cents to 90.97 dollars.That of Brent North Sea crude for August delivery was taking 25 cents 106.24 dollars.

Housing: housing starts and building permits up

On the macroeconomic front, the number of starts of new homes increased by 11.4,% year on year in France for the period from March to May, while the number of building permits for these homes has increased 4.3%, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing.

At 18 hours, will be published the figures for registered job seekers and offers collected by the job center in May.

In the U.S., the S & P / Case-Shiller of home prices in April (15 hours) and consumer confidence in June (16 hours) are also expected.

Carrefour jumps, Casino unscrews

Against a background of optimism about the outcome of the parliamentary debate on the budget austerity in Greece, the banking sector performs well: Crédit Agricole climbed 2.50% to 9.87 euros, Societe Generale is 1.54% to 38.25 euros, BNP Paribas rose 1.10% to 50.71 euros and Natixis gained 1.04% to 3.29 euros.

EADS: 0.09% to 22.07 euros

China could control dozens of Airbus during a visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday in Berlin, said on Monday sources familiar with the matter credit report.

Carrefour: 1.97% to 26.86 euros; Casino: -3.58% to 64 euros

The distribution group received Monday a "proposal" to create Gama Brazilian joint venture equally owned by both groups in Brazil, the latter to eventually become a shareholder of Carrefour.Casino intends to disturb their alliance, saying the project "hostile", prepared in secret, but against which "has the power to oppose."

In addition, the rating agency Fitch has downgraded the French retailer Carrefour up a notch to BBB +, along with a negative outlook, expressing concern the pace of recovery activities and French pressure from shareholders, according to a statement Tuesday.

Thales: 0.46% to 28.52 euros

According to an internal study cited by the Tribune, the electronics group shows a drastic decrease of 13% of customer satisfaction since the arrival of the new direction. Some regret the centralization of applications and other lack of attention to their concerns.

Lagardère: 2.95% to 28.57 euros

Analysts at the Swiss bank UBS raised their recommendation on the title to "buy" against "neutral" before.

Trigano: -3.36% to 22.27 euros

The specialist for caravans and motorhomes has said it expects a sales growth and results in 2011, following growth of 8.2% of its business in the third quarter, which covers the period from March to May

Teleperformance: -4.49% to 19.90 euros

The global call center cut its operating margin target in 2011 because of the recent slowdown in its business in the United States.

BioAlliance Pharma: 2.33% to 6.15 euros

The biotechnology company said it had filed with the French Drug Agency an application for leave to Phase III clinical trial for Livatag, treatment of primary liver cancer.

CGG Veritas: 1.14% to 23.45 euros

The group signed with the oil services group Bourbon marine services to offshore oil and gas a charter contract for five years to six new vessels support and assistance to its seismic surveys.

Alstom takes 14 hours to its General Assembly on Tuesday.

China reaffirms its confidence in the euro

June 27, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his "confidence" in the future of the euro area and promised to continue investing in the region at the beginning of a new tour on the old continent. In the midst of the Greek debt, Wen Jiabao gave a breath of fresh air to the euro by saying that Beijing had "continued to buy treasury bills from several European countries and had not reduced its reserves in euros." In Budapest and London to Berlin today and tomorrow o ù he will attend an economic forum with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime minister wants to present China as a long-term partner of the European Union.

Significant support before a crucial week for Greece.In fact, while the Greek Parliament will vote on Thursday, the new austerity plan required by the EU in exchange for the release of the next tranche of 12 billion euros, the Greek deputy prime minister warned that recalcitrant MPs could block some reforms sought by donors. Theodore Pangalos believes that overall the plan should be passed but the new tax reforms and privatization of national companies should be difficult to adopt, he warned. Yet the majority of the Papandreou government is reduced, the ruling PASOK deputies out of 155 and 300 Greek opposition repeats it rejects the call for a united front.

At the same time, France came up with a new plan to allow the private sector to help Greece, reveals Le Figaro.In the night from Friday to Saturday, the French Treasury and financial institutions have agreed on a scenario that will allow private creditors to subscribe to new Greek government bonds on a voluntary basis.

ALSO READ:

"SPECIAL – Europe, States facing bankruptcy

»Greece: towards a second aid plan of 110 billion

"Greece: the solution proposed by France

The five issues of agricultural G20

June 22, 2011 - 8:08 am Comments Off

The French presidency of the G20 has a real workhorse: the fight against agricultural price volatility and put agriculture at the heart of the investments to ensure food security. In fact, this summit today and tomorrow brings together the ministers of agriculture of 20 countries representing 85% of world production, is a first in the annals of the G20 to put the assets of France. On the eve of the opening, the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, recognizes this: if an action plan has five points on the table, "it will be difficult to reach an agreement, both differences are profound. " No question as to aim for a minimum agreement. "We prefer to fail rather than give up a point.It is a coherent whole that can handle all causes, "insists on the ministry.

• Transparency in Physical

The most concrete commitment, it would create a database, called Friends Information System (agricultural markets) and hosted at FAO. To provide information that is "clear and transparent" about global levels of production, consumption and stocks, initially focused on corn, soybeans, rice and wheat. This involves the cooperation of private groups such as Cargill and Dreyfus. This should lead to a consensus, despite the reluctance of China and India on issues of sovereignty. They are willing to engage on the condition of technical assistance such as satellite photos.

• Increased productivity

Again, this measure of common sense could rally all members of the G20.This is to encourage investment in global agriculture by focusing on innovation to improve yields of wheat and rice. The challenge: increase of 70% of world agricultural production by 2050 to feed 50% more mouths payday loan companies. The draft declaration emphasizes the need to develop public-private partnerships, a point without critics in the major emerging countries.

• Coordination of global agricultural production

In order not to replicate the Russian episode last summer, the French Presidency pushing for the establishment of a Rapid Response Forum (RRF), which should facilitate the coordination of agricultural trade policies. A measure criticized by the United States and Australia, which refer this matter to the World Trade Organization. The subject of biofuels, blamed as a factor of volatility, pass second.The project calls for a "strengthening of the analysis between the production of biofuels and the food."

• Reduce the effects of volatility on the most vulnerable countries

The World Bank should encourage the establishment of contractual instruments such as loans cyclical, ensuring access to credit and risk coverage to the poorest countries. It also reserves to provide for humanitarian relief. The term "stock" was carefully excluded to avoid offending the most reluctant, USA, Argentina and Brazil, particularly hostile to administered prices.

• Regulation of financial markets

Railing against excessive speculation, Nicolas Sarkozy promised more regulation of financial markets.On this point, the final statement is likely to be modest, returning responsibility to the finance ministers, themselves remain highly dependent on market authorities. The text could, however, contain some recommendations, including imposing position limits, as is already done in Chicago.

.

Wall Street expected to open down

June 20, 2011 - 9:36 pm Comments Off

The U.S. stock markets, should re-open down on Monday. Future of Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 respectively retreating from 0.27% to 1260 points and 0.65% at 2181.25 points. Wall Street ended the session on a mixed note Friday. The Dow Jones gained 0.36% to 12004.36 points while the Nasdaq 100 lost 0.32% to 2192.96 points and the S & P 500 rose 0.89% to 1278.87 points.

Despite a new rescue plan for Greece launched last night by finance ministers in Europe, U.S. markets should still be concerned as their counterparts in Europe and especially Paris.

After the reassuring words of Heads of State French and German unit, which posted a welcome Friday, the firm tone adopted by the ministers at the weekend said that the issue will be very long to resolve.The central bankers in the eurozone have defined the conditions of payment of a further tranche of loans in July, but the finance ministers of the euro area indicate that the release of the loan must be accompanied by the vote of a new plan of austerity and privatization by the Greek Parliament. Banks and other private creditors and participate in this new plan. However the contours of that plan remains to be defined.

In the wake of renewed tensions, the euro falls against the dollar. 11:00 in Paris to the European single currency was worth 1.4232 dollars against 1.4301 dollars on Friday night. In addition, oil continues to fall sharply, quoting under $ 92 in New York.

On the macroeconomic front, the week promises to be charged. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Fed will meet this week.The release will be issued Wednesday evening and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will give a press conference after the meeting. Aurel BGC experts anticipate little change in the FOMC statement. They argue that the Fed chairman should emphasize the temporary nature of the slowdown and reject any idea of ​​a new program of quantitative easing. Other highlights of the week, investors will monitor the number of housing sales in the old tomorrow and in the nine Thursday. Then Friday, they will learn the durable goods orders. The latter will benefit from a rebound in transportation orders, thanks to Boeing.

All eyes will be turned to the Paris Air Show, which opens Monday.

Boeing launches new version of its popular 747 jetliner, highly anticipated.In an interview with Le Figaro, Jim Albaugh, CEO of Boeing Commercial Aviation believes "it takes 30% of the world to survive over time." This morning, the airline Qatar Airways has placed an order with Boeing for six long-haul 777-300 ER for $ 1.7 billion (list price).

NYSE Euronext said Monday in a statement the actual launch on July 11 of the first platform for bond trading companies in Europe, the project has given the green light of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF).

The side of values, General Electric has reached an agreement in principle of the two largest unions of the company for new contracts."The four-year contract will enable advances on wages, pensions and job security. "

For his part, PetSmart will turn its quarterly dividend to 0.14 dollar per share against dollar before 0125. The board also authorized a share buyback program of $ 450 million.

Members bury the tax shield

June 12, 2011 - 9:00 am Comments Off

It unanimously that members have voted to delete one of the cornerstone of the quinquennium of Nicolas Sarkozy. On the night of Friday to Saturday at a little over two hours of the morning, the parliamentarians adopted rule repealing the tax shield, established in 2007 to limit to 50% income taxation. All of the supplementary budget will in turn be a formal vote on Tuesday afternoon.

Strongly contested by the opposition and discussed in the majority, sending checks every year to the wealthiest taxpayers had come to interfere with government. In 2010, a total of 678 million euros that the state has returned to the beneficiaries of this measure, a figure slightly higher than in 2009 (EUR 586 million). Especially, like last year, is only a small fraction of some 592,000 taxpayers subject to the ISF who earned the largest amounts recovered.If the amount of average check totaled 40,908 euros, the richest 7% received 60% of the amount paid, or 381,000 euros on average.

To the dismay of Socialist deputies, the government's plan, however, does not remove the tax shield that from 2012 on taxes paid on income in 2011. According to the deputy PS Jerome Cahuzac, the measure should thus continue to cost the public finances 550 million Euros in 2012 and 200 million in 2013.

Relief ISF

The elimination of this symbolic mandate Nicolas Sarkozy also fits into the context of a broader reform of the taxation of wealth, the members approved each measure in recent days. To parliamentarians, the Minister of Budget, Baroin, endeavored to describe the philosophy of combining text as "social justice" (the end of the tax shield) and "tax justice" (relief ISF) short term personal loan."The government is a simple reform, fair and balanced" has said repeatedly this week Baroin.

On Friday, the parliamentarians approved a reform of the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF), which raises € 800,000 to 1.3 million euros threshold of assets at which a taxpayer is taxable to the ISF. Approximately 300,000 people should therefore be exempt from this tax next year. The current rate also eased: below three million, the tax rate increased from 0.55% to 0.25% when it is lowered to 0.5% instead of 1.8 % above. Overall, 250,000 taxpayers should therefore pay less. This reform will result in a revenue decline of 1.8 billion euros.

A shortfall that is projected by the government, be offset by the elimination of the tax shield, the higher taxes on gifts and estates, and the new tax on second homes of strangers, sitting on their rental value. In total, the projected deficit for 2011 however, increases of 596 million euros, 460 million due to payments associated with the Taiwan frigates affair. Remain a little over 130 million bridge to return to the original projected deficit. Baroin promised by the end of the year new savings measures to achieve this.

ALSO READ:

"The tax-exempt donations allowed every ten years

"No enlargement of the ISF to works of art

"The reform of the ISF to benefit small estates

Deezer waives the free and unlimited music

June 10, 2011 - 9:20 pm Comments Off

Not more than five hours of music per month. The platform for online listening Deezer decided to put its users on a diet. At the launch of its new, faster and more social interaction through Facebook, a new policy was implemented. It marks the end of unlimited listening obtained in exchange for advertisements viewed. The internet has thus no choice beyond the five hours of music heard, you have to pay.

The goal is "to accelerate the conversion of most active users towards premium offerings," says the streaming platform in a statement. For if Deezer is used by millions of Internet users, only 5%, or 1.2 millionsd'utilisateurs are paying subscribers. The shortfall is significant and Deezer trying to correct the situation since 2010.Became a shareholder in Orange since July includes such subscription to the site in some of its plans for mobile and broadband. Its main competitor Spotify has followed the same path in alliance with SFR. Since April, the platform also knows the same kind of restrictions: listening to you free is now more than ten hours beyond the first six months of registration and it is impossible to listen to more than five times the same song.

Pressed to see close the valves of the free and unlimited internet, the majors have strongly influenced these decisions. Their fight is also not complete: Universal Music has always Deezer impose the same restriction to five songs played. But all the stakeholders do not rejoice in this decision, as Adami, a collecting society of intellectual property rights of performers."Why limit listening to five free hours a month just announced as the champion French streaming? We see the requirement for producers who once again is the wrong economic model. Imagine that limits the radio listening to a few hours per month. Record sales they would find it doped? "She asks in a statement. "The proposed model opens the door to the concentration and will affect the diversity," says Adami.

The future of such limitations may depend on decisions made in the U.S. by other Internet giants. Amazon and Google have decided to launch their music service without the majors, at risk of being prosecuted or with a limited catalog of titles. Facebook should ally themselves to Spotify normally while Apple has its side chains agreements for its music service, expected to be announced Monday night.

Carrefour strike: unions welcome

April 10, 2011 - 2:28 am Comments Off

Unions are rather relieved. After fears yesterday that their call for the strike falls flat, following the announcement last minute by the management to reopen salary negotiations, they welcomed a widely followed mobilization this Saturday. Employees hypermarket distribution group were in fact called by four unions to strike on Saturday to protest against including salary increases for 2011, considered insufficient. The appeal was launched in late March by the FGTA-FP, the majority union at Carrefour (with more than 45% representation), and supported by the CGT, CFDT and CGC.

In total, employees of French retail group came to mass protest around the shops in this traditional day of great crowds in hypermarkets.According to union estimates, the movement is widely followed (50 to 85% of striking workers) in 130 of 203 hypermarkets in the group. Over thirty sites are completely blocked, preventing access of employees supermarkets. Even when they are not completely blocked, the strike rate range from 30% to 85% as estimated by Dejan Terglav, general secretary of the FO-FGTA reported by AFP. "The regions are the most mobilized the North, Britain and the Centre," said trade unionist. When contacted, the management of Carrefour has not confirmed those numbers, always carrying an inventory of mobilization, and ensuring that all supermarkets were open.

Union representatives yesterday morning anticipating a high rate of mobilization of employees. A rare occurrence in a group unaccustomed to large-scale social movements."Especially since the announcement of the reopening of Carrefour wage negotiations Wednesday could deter some people from coming forward. But reopening negotiations, it does not mean to succeed, "insists Dejan Terglav.

"It's a movement that looks pretty memorable," confirmed Frank Gaulin, Steward central CGT. Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the Workers' Force (FOR), came to support the movement at the site of Le Mans, on strike for 80%. "People want a redistribution within companies.When they are unwilling to do that, there is a strike, "said union leader, also claims that" a device to make compulsory the transport allowance in all enterprises. "

Insufficient wage increase

While management offers its employees a 1% increase in wages to March 1 and another 1% increase on 1 October, union officials estimate that these proposals do not cover inflation announced by 2% payday loan online. "I do not really represents only 1% over the year," says a leaflet distributed by the FGTA-FO, which requests that the increases are decided once a year. The promise of recovery to 10% (against 7% previously) discounts on purchases of stores, and the announcement of the reopening of negotiations next Wednesday, will not suffice to bring back the union leaders on their decision.

Indeed, beyond wages, discomfort is increasingly strong-side conditions of use and new methods of work since arriving at the head of the group of Swedish Lars Olofsson, in January 2009. In total, FGTA-FO amounted to 10,000 the number of jobs cut since 5 years, and denounced a "new business model based on night work generalized ultra simplified workflow and increased employee stress .

The union also stipulates that future negotiations with management will not only wages and, even in case of high wage increase, it will not bend on the claims concerning the improvement of working conditions.

Opposition to the plans of division

While President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday expressed its willingness to link salaries to dividends, the unions could ask for more support for their speeches. For the third and final major demand, workers are opposed to the division by trading in the subsidiary Dia hard discount and the 25% of the land Carrefour Property. According to unions, these purely financial transactions would bring six billion euros to the two main shareholders, Bernard Arnault and Colony Capital (14% stake and 20% of voting rights between them).

In the words of Dejan Terglav in Les Echos reported on Friday, the organization also wants the Mutual Fund Business (CIPF) 'vote against the division (at the next general meeting of June 21 ed.)CIPF owns approximately 1.33% of the shares but the double voting rights "said the union leader. Bringing to nearly 4% the number of shareholders opposed the project, with the fund Knight Vinke (more than 1% of capital). But for now insufficient to meet a third of votes needed to derail the project.

ALSO READ:

"Carrefour France faces the discontent of certain employees

"Carrefour is considering the future of his hard discount

"The new hub is delayed

»New turbulence surrounding the division of Carrefour