Business World |

Online News

A boost in biogas

Thursday May 10, 2012

Presidential in major cities Paris | Leeds | Lyons | Toulouse | Leeds | Sheffield | Liverpool | Bordeaux | Lille


Comments Off

Europe shall convene a crisis meeting on May 23

Wednesday May 9, 2012

 

The agenda is filled Francois Hollande. Two weeks after his election to the French Presidency, and one week after taking office, the new head of state will visit on May 23, at an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss ways to boost growth in Europe without ceasing to fight against public deficits and debt. A date has been announced on Twitter by the President of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy.

Wednesday, May 23, Will Be the date of our informal dinner of Heads of State or Government. # EUCO

– Herman Van Rompuy (@ euHvR) May 8, 2012

This dinner will prepare the EU summit on 28 and 29 June next, and open the outline of a debate on growth, crediting the message supported by Francois Hollande during his presidential campaign of saying that the austerity alone can not get out the Europe of the crisis. According to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, "many proposals (Commission) are on the table and waiting for the green light from Member States and Parliament. While the return to growth will take time, we could reach a turning point at the end of the year if the right decisions are taken now. "

Growth, yes, but how?

Because the situation is serious in Europe no faxing pay day loans. The Greek political earthquake this weekend shook the whole euro-zone. The spectrum of an output of Athens in the euro area returns and fears of a precedent is being felt. For bankruptcy and return to the drachma could then contaminate Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. In Spain, the situation is alarming. And France, the passage of the political right to left removes an ally to Germany. Francois Hollande and his socialist political concern in the midst of crisis.

Europe, which as a whole is obviously to revive its growth, however, is not yet agreement on how to get there. For Francois Hollande, we must create Eurobonds. No question, the German chancellor. French side, advocates strengthening the European investment bank to support major projects. Okay, they reply the Rhine. However, it remains unthinkable for Angela Merkel to touch the Treaty nor the EU fiscal role of the ECB. Negotiations are open.

ALSO READ:

"The Europeans welcomed President growth

"Between Merkel and Holland, fundamental disagreements

"Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande will agree

"The Growth Pact in five questions


Comments Off

Jerome Kerviel Societe Generale attack

Saturday Apr 21, 2012

 

The former trader Jerome Kerviel, who was sentenced in 2010 to a record loss of Societe Generale (SocGen) of nearly 5 billion euros, Friday filed a complaint for "fraud in the judgment" against his former employer. Kerviel Societe Generale accuses of misleading the Paris criminal court in not informing him that she had recovered, thanks to a French tax scheme, 1.7 billion euros on 4.9 billion that she believes she lost because of financial transactions undertaken by the trader.

At trial, in October 2010, the former trader was considered solely responsible for the loss suffered by the bank in early 2008, in a financial crisis. Convicted of embezzlement, forgery and using false and fraudulent introduction of data into the computer system of the bank, he was sentenced to five years in prison, three strong, and damages of four colossal, 9 billion euros.

The complaint is filed "for a simple reason," namely that Societe Generale "has failed to say she had received a sum unduly from the tax authorities of $ 1.7 billion euros, "said his lawyer David Koubbi in Europe 1. In a statement released in the evening, Societe Generale said "take note" of the complaint and announced that it "has asked his lawyers to sue for false accusations in the shortest possible time." SocGen also argues that it "will present its case at trial on appeal."

"Fictitious transactions"

According Koubbi Me and some accountants, the bank should not have this deduction because its systems of control of traders like Kerviel had found wanting in this case high quality business cards.

The lawyer asked last week to the French Parliament to establish a commission of inquiry into the tax rebate obtained in 2008 but he had not been reported during the trial of Jerome Kerviel. Shortly after the first verdict, news reports had revealed that the bank had taken advantage of a device that enables companies to benefit, in case of extraordinary losses, a tax deduction of up to one third of the amount lost, or the normal tax rate for corporations. SocGen had explained that the "tax treatment of losses related to fraudulent activities of Jerome Kerviel was done transparently, in accordance with tax regulations."

The former trader also said that Societe Generale has made fictitious transactions similar to yours at the same time. Interviewed by Europe 1, David Koubbi explains: "We discover in the quite extraordinary volume of documents comprising the record that there is a document where it says that Societe Generale has made itself" of "sham transactions ( …) before January 18, which is the last day that Mr. Kerviel was on the premises of the General Society, and then subsequently, on January 21, 2008, when he was not on the premises of the General Society ".

The appeal of Jerome Kerviel, 35, will last from June 4 to 28  

ALSO READ:

"SPECIAL REPORT: The Kerviel affair


Comments Off

Out with the "assholes" at work

Saturday Mar 31, 2012

 

What companies are doing to manage the "assholes" rotting the lives of other employees? They have their eyes on their economic performance, they advocate the dynamism and innovation to develop, but they show very little "attentive to these toxic personalities", who happen to be an unnecessary cost but very real for their s Finance boxes?

Deliberately provocative, "Target Zero asshole," the book by Robert Sutton, professor of management at Stanford, in any case a fixed cap at which leaders would be wise to look at things in front. "The assholes are costs that do not appear in cost accounting, but take stock of their damage is not so difficult," he says.

Robert Sutton, it is urgent to act because "they swarm." "All companies should adopt the Target Zero asshole because these people inflict considerable damage to their direct victims, organizational performance, but also to themselves." Increased stress and risk of heart attack among those who are victims, increased absenteeism and surge in turnover. Professor Stanford has even delivered a calculation of what costs such as employees at a company: it comes to adding a "for asshole" of $ 160,000 per year!

But what to do to achieve this "Goal Zero asshole"? Here are five recipes by Robert Sutton.

• Choose the right people. Assuming that "hire other assholes assholes," Robert Sutron, suggests that they deviate from the recruitment process or to involve also "civilized people".

• Identify employees pourrisseurs room and spend their time bully and harass others. To achieve Robert Sutton has listed what he called "their twelve nasties" daily. There are pell-mell "personal insults", "threats or intimidation," "humiliation or public reprimands," "hypocritical attacks" ….

• Limit their power to harm. For example by reducing the hierarchical boundaries or too large wage differentials that give them a sense of power and feel like superstars.

• Protect yourself. "The best and safest way is to keep you as far as possible from people and places contaminated by the virus," writes Robert Sutton. If this is impossible, since it's boss that he is only one solution: change the box.

• Be careful not to become "asshole" self. Robert Sutton, we are all "assholes" in power. Then you try not to treat colleagues as competitors and build instead a "win-win exchanges at work."

Obviously the method advocated by Robert Sutton has found its audience. Published for the first time in the United States in 2007, he has sold over 475,000 copies (all languages). It has just been reissued, proof that there is still work to overcome the assholes at the office.

ALSO READ:

"When the work overflows, privacy suffers

"It's the crisis, but leaders are less stressed

"Your manager is there a little chef or a great boss?

SERVICE:

"Job offers in France and abroad with Cadremploi

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON FIGARO:

"Twitter: @ LeFigaro_Emploi


Comments Off

Energy costs peaked in France

Tuesday Mar 13, 2012

 

France could seek to accelerate its transition energy. In fact, the country's fuel bill has reached a new record in 2011, up from 32% to 61.4 billion euros, according to figures from the Commissioner General for Sustainable Development announced by Les Echos. The energy bill of France and represented 3.1% of GDP, last year against 2.5% in 2010.

This increase was driven by soaring oil prices. The average price per barrel of oil a year has indeed established last year to $ 111, not seen since the nineteenth century. The price of unleaded gasoline and have reached new heights last week, to 1.6211 euro on average for a liter of unleaded 95 and 1.6610 for that of 98 unleaded, according to data released yesterday by Ministry of Sustainable Development. This price is still below the record high of 1 fast cash without a hassle.4541 euro per liter recorded in May 2008.

Since late 2011, gasoline prices beat record after record in France, propelled by the combination of geopolitical factors that keep crude oil prices at very high levels, and weakening of the euro against the dollar , which amplifies the cost of black gold once its converted value in the single currency.

Nuclear energy has however enabled France to reduce its energy dependence as the country has a net electricity exports by 2.6 billion euros. The development of renewable energy has also enabled France to reduce the weight of its energy dependence.

ALSO READ:

"The biofuels bill supported by the driver

"A liter of petrol to two euros soon


Comments Off

Simon, a surprise guest in Klépierre

Saturday Mar 10, 2012

 

It is a return that is breathtaking professionals malls. Two years ago, Simon Properties, the U.S. leader "malls", was sold to Unibail-Rodamco seven assets in Poland and France for 715 million euros. Mid-January, the American land, listed since 1993, sold to Immochan the 49% stake in a joint venture operator of shopping centers in Italy. After these operations, it had more activity on the Old Continent. Withdrawal then analyzed as a movement of distrust of Europe, a territory considered unattractive, with the sovereign debt crisis and a shaky consumer.

Surprise return to Europe

Thursday, Simon has taken everyone by announcing in reverse repurchase, to 1.5 billion euros, 28.7% of Klépierre to BNP Paribas, which will retain 22.2% for at least a year. A real strategic move, given the size of Klépierre: present in thirteen European countries with 271 units, the French property cashed 945 million in rent in 2011. "We are the largest European donor of H & M, McDonald's or Sephora," illustrates Laurent Morel, the chief executive of Klépierre.

Simon does not mention the real reasons for his return to Europe. "The euro-dollar exchange with a strong U.S. currency had to play because it made the operation less expensive for Simon," says one industry expert. Laurent Morel another analysis: "If Simon did all these movements is that he certainly believes that investment in our society is much more than its previous operations in Europe." In any case, the king of American shopping centers, became the first shareholder of Klépierre, do not plan to make up the numbers. Now it is his boss, David Simon, who will chair the supervisory board of the French property. The management team of Klépierre, it remains in place. But in a year when BNP Paribas may sell its 22%, the financial analysis firm Aurel BGC believes that Simon will launch a takeover bid.

The French property will therefore have to deal with this actor unknown to the public but is very heavy. Last year, for example, Simon achieved a turnover of 4.3 billion dollars (3.2 billion) against 1.26 billion euros just for Unibail, the first European property of commercial real estate. Same imbalance in market capitalization: Simon weighs $ 41 billion, against 13.5 billion for the French leader. Is that the small American company created in the early 1960s by two brothers, Melvin and Herbert Simon, to operate a commercial center in Indianapolis, has come a long way. By dint of takeovers and mergers, it became an operator who owns nearly 330 shopping centers, located in the vast majority in the U.S.. With a few locations in Asia, including Japan.

ALSO READ:

"Small shopping centers for sale


Comments Off

Training: a report in early April

Saturday Mar 3, 2012

 

Gerard Larcher could have done without the public release, two weeks ago, Francois Fillon, who suggested to redirect some 31 billion spent annually on training unemployed only.

"I lie to you if I told you that I have not complicated the task," says the former chairman of the Senate to which the Prime Minister has given two months in late January to lay the groundwork for a "radical reform "vocational training system. Job seekers do not enjoy today that $ 3.8 billion on training 31 billion spent each year. A drop of water

.

The four "priority objectives" set out in its letter of engagement are clear. This is to "orient vocational training to those who need it most, including job seekers," and "encourage companies to better train their employees by allocating adequate funds." The former Minister of Labour intends to not vary from its roadmap. It continues its hearings until mid-March and will report – "an aid to reflection for the future majority" – early April. "We must adapt our discourse and practices in modern times, he says the Figaro, mid-term. Vocational training was forty years ago a tool of social advancement and has become over time a non-aid decommissioning and an insertion tool. "

For now, Gerard Larcher wishes to move three points. First, to increase from 10 to 40% the share of unemployed trained and adapt their training to real business needs. "We must territorialize reflection and ensure that the curriculum really coincide with skills needed in employment areas," he insists payday loan lenders. Second, transform-Opca that collect money from training to companies in-prescribers. Third, rationalize expenditures. "We have a problem of cost effectiveness of certain formations, Judge Gerard Larcher. It is possible to redeploy, constant envelope, misused funds to training resulted in strong. "

Reform of the representative employers

Although this is not part of its roadmap, Gerard Larcher also intends to make proposals on the financing of trade unions and professional. Publication on the sly "real fake" Perruchot report on money management and trade unions-which confirmed "without suggesting any solution" that some organizations were shooting some of their resources-training convinced him to go in this sense. "There's too much unsaid and too known on these subjects, he despairs. I can not propose lines of education reform without addressing the issue of funding of social dialogue and propose ways of evolution. "The former second officer of the State should also suggest a reform of the employer's representative, in the vein of that which was implemented in 2008 for the unions, based on the election.

As for the referendum issue, raised by the President to remove "blockages" that are sure to respond to the outcome of discussions on vocational training, Gerard Larcher's not. "I believe in intermediate bodies, they are useful," says he, laconically.

ALSO READ:

"The obligations for the unemployed

"Towards a more suitable training needs


Comments Off

Air France: controversy about the benefits of leaders

Wednesday Feb 15, 2012

 

The scandal could not have been worse. While Air France is embarking on an extensive and highly unpopular savings plan, the unions of the company revealed Monday that their former boss Pierre-Henri Gourgeon was preparing to travel to destination in Mauritius with its Women in business class for 24 euros.

This trip was to take place almost free along with two relatives also enjoy preferential rates. These tickets are embargoed during the school holidays, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon had to obtain special approval of the new CEO of Air France, Alexander Juniac, to lift the embargo and travel to this destination.

"It's scary to work in this context, a sorry part of the company. Our company is mired in research and maintenance of personal advantages. How do you get the support of employees and pass a savings plan? ". Given the excitement that the information generated internally, the former boss has finally given up the tickets at unbeatable price and opted for traditional GP tickets entitlements in the company's employees and retirees.

The ex-boss will have to pay 745 euros to get to Mauritius in business class or about 1500 euros for a round trip ticket worth from 3000 to 6000 euro at full price. "When traveling in GP, ​​the former executives often take tickets in economy class, or 400 euros round trip to Mauritius, calculates an employee of the company paperless payday loans. Once on the plane, they do outperform if space is available at the front of the camera. "

"A trip to the Air France lounge"

Like many companies, employees of Air France benefit from preferential rates on their business activity. Like the employees of the car who pay their car cheaper, the Air France employees benefit from GP notes (Free partial), a valid right to life from 15 years of seniority. "I travel regularly to New York, welcomes a former executive of the company. It cost me about 200 euros in economy class, but in general I do upgrade and I manage to go on a trip to the Air France lounge. "

As a former senior executive, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon does not need to go through the system of GP tickets. Like other executives recently departed from the leadership, the former boss has negotiated a confidential volume of ticket prices almost free.

These benefits may soon be challenged. Juniac Alexander, the new leader of the company, has announced an overhaul of the benefits enjoyed by current and former executives of Air France. "Such benefits are not unique to Air France, says aviation expert. All major companies are considering a historic reform of the preferential fare tickets costing them too much. " And have less and less supported by employees who request efforts increasingly harsh.


Comments Off

Tuesday Nov 22, 2011

The Paris Bourse is trying to make a step forward on Tuesday, a day after falling more than 3%. The CAC 40 in advance from 1.6% to 2941.61 points in early trade.

The problems of sovereign debt, however, should still hang over the markets. The pressure rises in the euro zone since Moody's announced that the triple A French was threatened. Spain and Italy are always attacked in the bond markets. Finally, Germany is in the viewfinder of many observers who believe the country could experience a domino effect on the market.

But Europe is not the only one to raise the nervousness of the operators. The market should be affected by the fact that the "super committee" responsible for the debt of the United States do not reach an agreement between left and right, after three months of effort.The twelve members of the joint committee, composed of six Republicans and six Democrats were responsible for the deficit of 1200 billion and had until midnight Wednesday to share their findings. Failing agreement, the law provides for the automatic implementation, from 2013, these spending cuts divided equally between defense and social programs.

Fitch monitors the Americans

President Barack Obama assured that the United States were not at risk of default. He said he was determined to keep the pressure on elected officials and threatened to veto any attempt by Congress to mitigate the budget cuts that are now automatically take effect.

For now, the rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Moody's reported that U.S. credit rating would not be affected by the failure of these discussions.


Comments Off

Sunday Nov 6, 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy counting on the G20 in Cannes to shape its international image to six months of the presidential elections. It has been used beyond its expectations. This is not one but two summits taking place in parallel, for 48 hours on the Croisette.

The first official meets leaders of the twenty richest countries in the world. The second, far more dramatic, is between two doors off the record: it brings together the countries of the euro area G20, joined by the bosses of the EU executive, Jose Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy fast cash.

This crisis summit took place in two stages. A first in the morning, followed by a second, which began Thursday night in the presence of U.S. President Barack Obama.


Comments Off