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Tension mounts between Opel workers and their U.S. parent, General Motors (GM). The unions are still hoping to be able to bend GM, when approaching a crucial supervisory board, scheduled for Wednesday, during which its European subsidiary must submit a proposal for the closure of two plants in Europe. In a letter to the chief executive of Opel, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, unions representing 40,000 employees in the twelve production sites in Europe – in Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Spain and Hungary – say they will refuse any negotiations with management on wage cuts, which make competition between sites.

"Dear Mr. Stracke we will conduct any negotiations with you at the local level," they write according to an excerpt of the letter published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The unions are responding to requests by management at each plant separately. Opel claims including greater flexibility in work schedules, a waiver of premiums for weekends and worked an abandonment of wage demands. The sites do not bowing to these guidelines should not expect to be selected for the production of new models, according to Peter Thom, head of production at Opel.

30% reduction in production capacity

Karl-Friedrich Stracke said a few days ago that he would respect the commitment not to close any site before the end of 2014. According to German media, GM is preparing to announce a reduction of about 30% of production capacity. The project would include the closure of sites in Bochum, Germany (3200 employees) and Ellesmere Port, UK (Vauxhall factory, 2100 employees) payday loans lenders. And relocation destinations in the cheap production costs: Poland, China, Korea, Mexico.

GM operations in Europe have lost billions of dollars over the past decade and plant closures is seen by the world number one automotive and investors on both sides of the Atlantic as crucial to restore the group's profitability in the region.

Between seven and ten plants in too

But unions are headwind against this strategy, claiming that GM could increase profitability by increasing sales or by locating more production in Europe. "GM repeats regularly with excess capacity equivalent to 500,000 cars a year, we have two factories in too, and the new manufacturing manager visited the sites one after the other by playing against each other," said Thursday a union representative of the supervisory board at Opel.

"We know the main points of the strategic plan could be presented Wednesday: he plans to plant closures and no growth for the company," he added. "If it is voted, the entire union side will vote against this plan." For Dan Akerson, Managing Director of GM Europe's automotive sector has a total of between seven and 10 plants in too. The closure of one or two sites by GM could therefore increase the pressure on his new French ally, PSA Peugeot Citroen, for it is committed on the same track.

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At a time when many manufacturers are seeking solutions to their difficulties in Europe, the alliance between PSA Peugeot Citroen and General Motors supplies all conversations at the Geneva show. The French on Tuesday launched a capital increase of one billion euros, after which GM will take 7% of the shares of PSA, the Peugeot family from 31 to 25.2% of the capital. This operation gives us "the ability to make the necessary expenditures to investments with GM on a number of projects," says Jean-Baptiste de Chatillon, the CFO. These are "projects we wanted to achieve, but we did not have the capacity to do so quickly," everything "with greater efficiency than if we were alone," he says. Ideas that focus on small cars, station wagons, "crossover" and minivans. The first vehicle will arrive in 2016

"We have identified the programs on which we want to work with PSA. Others could be added to as and when cooperation takes place in a climate of trust, "said his side Stephen Girsky, vice president of GM. Thanks also to the pooling of purchases, both grouped hope everyone save $ 1 billion per year from 2016.

"PSA needs cash"

The least we can say is that the two rival groups are skeptical. Renault, Nissan ally of Japan for thirteen years (which it owns 43.4%, while Japan has 15% of French), has been especially reserved. "In our design, an alliance must be based on cross-shareholdings. This way, everything a manufacturer implements to take his partner's expertise, he gets a real return, "financially, reacted Carlos Tavares. The COO of Renault also recalled that in his view, create a common purchasing structure, and especially the engineers to work together, "takes time". In short, the operation is over, he said, an "equity participation of GM" in a context where PSA is "in need of cash."

Daimler believes that the combination PSA-GM is not the same nature as its partnership with Renault (through cross-holdings of 3.1%). "As our cooperation with Renault is to add strength, especially this new alliance is trying to tackle challenges in Europe," said Dieter Zetche, the boss of the German specialist high end.

The site of Aulnay-sous-Bois threatened

All observers point out that this approximation leaves unresolved the issue of overcapacity of the two manufacturers on the Old Continent payday loans. "They have the same problem, I wonder how they will learn from each other to solve it," said Carlos Tavares. PSA and GM said they would address this issue separately. PSA has its problems of overcapacity in Europe "on 18 to 24 months" to come, has also said Denis Martin, director of industrial PSA. By the presidential election, an announcement seems impossible, but the site of Aulnay-sous-Bois, which will produce the Citroen C3 until 2014, seems particularly threatened after that horizon. The future sites Sevelnord, near Valenciennes, and Madrid, is also uncertain. Meanwhile, Opel could close two new plants in Europe, Germany and Britain, according to U.S. media.

For his part, Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Fiat-Chrysler, says it "would not like to be in the shoes of GM," because "a stake of 7%, which does not provide an integration of European , is not the right answer "immediately, even if beneficial effects will be to" medium and long term. " Fiat "remains open" to a merger with a third partner. "All" potentially of interest to manufacturers, including Renault, apart from the German Volkswagen and Daimler, which are not considered "technically compatible with Fiat."

The U.S. company invests 304 million

PSA announced details of its capital increase of one billion euros, intended both to seal an alliance with General Motors and give itself the means to continue investing. The price of the transaction, which runs from March 8 to 21, was set at 8.27 euros, reflecting a discount of 42% over the course of Monday. However, existing shareholders have preferential subscription rights (DPS), which have a value. For them, the discount is reduced to about 32%. General Motors has committed $ 304 million to acquire 7% stake. Of this amount, 80 million used to purchase approximately 55.6% of the DPS of the Peugeot family. This will subscribe the capital increase for the balance – representing an investment of around 150 million – and will see its stake reduced from 31% to 25.2% of the capital of the manufacturer.

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LE FIGARO. – What do you think of the proposal of François Hollande to fight against the dismantling of French companies?

Jerome Chartier. – I think she will have three effects: be an accelerator of deindustrialization, insofar as an investor does not take the risk now to resume or expand a business in France for fear of not being free to to act. Francois Hollande first puts the brakes, then it must instead press the accelerator. It expresses all the difference between the administered economy, which it promotes, and regulated the economy, which is the one that defends Nicolas Sarkozy. The second effect is the return of any power of attorney of the Commercial Court which, in the early Mitterrand, had helped to give up half of French industry in symbolic franc. And again, it had never prevented or layoffs or the dismantling. Finally, and this is the third effect, this proposal is an absolute breach of property rights remains one of the founding principles of the Republican base.

Nevertheless, 800,000 industrial jobs were lost in France in ten years

.

These numbers are for the period 1998-2008. The dates are important because they correspond to the vote and the implementation of laws 35 hours. Malthusian principle was actually an accelerator relocations to the extent that, when you can not do enough work your employees in France to address the backlog, you produce elsewhere. Since 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy has stepped up to reindustrialise France. In its report released Friday, the OECD also welcome the research tax credit, the elimination of business tax and the status of the freelancer as good structural measures.

VAT can social relaunch "produce in France"?

Yes, it serves to finance a decrease of 12.12% in payroll taxes, but we will continue to do so to produce the same cost or cheaper than our competitors, Germany and Italy, and not China or India as would have us believe the French Francois Hollande.

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It is a repudiation for the Competition Authority. The institution, which had inflicted 385 million euro fine in September 2010 with the main banks operating in France on their pricing of check processing, has seen its decision questioned by the Court of Appeal of Paris. In a ruling Thursday, the latter took the view that in this case, "the grievances of Understanding (…) can not be accepted" and that the banks concerned "should therefore be exonerated ".

The case dates back to the early 2000s, when banks have embarked on the computerization of processing checks. They are then granted to establish interchange fees, naturally passed on to end customers.

Fines must be repaid to banks

Banks have justified the introduction of these fees, which were abolished in 2007, the cost that they accounted for the modernization effort of check processing. One argument considered to be unfounded by corporate treasurers, who saw the impact fees.

In September 2010, the Competition Authority found in favor of the latter, and denounced an agreement on final prices payday loan. A vision not shared by the Court of Appeal of Paris, sought by banks complained, BPCE, Post Bank, BNP-Paribas, the National Confederation of Credit Mutuel, Crédit Agricole, Crédit du Nord, CIC, LCL HSBC France, Societe Generale.

In its reasoning, it considers that the commissions were "directly related to the new system paperless exchange of checks, public interest project neutral in terms of competition law …". It also believes that the Bank Agreement does not constitute "an agreement on final prices."

The Competition Authority may lodge an appeal. When asked, a spokesman said the institution consider what action would give the matter. Fines paid to the Treasury must be repaid to the banks.  

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Inequalities between men and women die hard. On wages, women continued to earn 20% less than men in 2009, INSEE said Wednesday in its latest publication on employment and wages. If this gap has narrowed significantly since 1954 (he was then 35%), it is virtually stagnant since the early 1990s.

This inequality is calculated based on hours of work the same for men and women. But if one takes into account the number of hours actually worked over the year, the gap increases again, due to the higher proportion of women working part-time while they earn nearly 30% of less than men. Positive, however, wage inequality tends to be reduced in less than 25 years.

INSEE explains this persistent inequality by "a qualifying structure" different from each sex. More men, for example, are managers (19% against 12% of women). Even within the same occupational category, inequalities remain payday loans. And sometimes compounded: a female manager in the private sector and 23% earn less than men.

Involuntary part-time

This is partly the effect of the famous "glass ceiling" that prevents women from accessing certain positions. It is also, according to INSEE, the resulting choice of training, industries or career operated by women. Many of them, for example, moving towards the sectors of health or social work, pay less.

The highest proportion of female part-timers do not necessarily result also a choice, especially motivated by family reasons. Even among those who have no children, the proportion of part-time employees is 17% higher than that of men. A figure that reflects the overrepresentation of women in the service sector, where part-time is more widespread.

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The family group is very discreet about its level of profitability, but ensures that the results are sufficient to guarantee its independence and its development without the need for external partner and relatively little use of banks.

Part of the offshore production

"In 2012, the economic environment would be bad in Europe and the United States, recognizes Jean Cassegrain, but we feel no impact in our stores." As a result, the company, which opened 20 stores this year in the world, plans to continue its expansion, even in mature markets. Longchamp is well to open a shop in Nantes. "Our priority is to open boutiques in major European cities in China," says the CEO. Longchamp will open a store in Milan in March.

Eric Besson this Wednesday morning at the University Paris-Dauphine, his new plan, Digital France 2020 laying down broad objectives for the digital sector, which now accounts for 3.7% of employment in France and 5 2% of GDP.

Some fifty measures, the minister will announce that the government wants to free up additional spectrum for the development of mobile broadband. Good news for mobile operators, which, given the exponential growth of traffic, would need additional 450 megahertz. Good news in perspective as to the state, who can expect royalties.

The Council of State suspended the execution of the decree of September 29 on the sale prices of natural gas, the institution announced on Monday. Gas prices are definitely a real headache for the government. Enact increases in the order of 4 or 5% per quarter is difficult to six months of a presidential election, particularly in times of crisis. So the government there decided by a ministerial decree of 29 September, to freeze the rates for individuals. This price stability followed that decided on July 1.

Problem: after much negotiation, the State and the suppliers had agreed in December 2010 on a formula, which was to end criticism of the political nature of periodic reassessments of gas tariffs.

France, she missed electricity this winter? Nine months after the German decision to phase out nuclear reactors eight of seventeen will be stopped before the end of the year, the question of feeding the Hexagon concern to the government. Yesterday, on the occasion of the presentation of the report of the electricity transmission network (RTE) on the transition of winter, the industry minister, Eric Besson, has expressed its "vigilance".

Governments based on the calculations of the EDF subsidiary responsible for networks and very high tension. In the first nine months of the year, French exports of electricity to Germany increased by 11% over 2010, while imports fell by 50%.With all these elements, RTE suggests a risk of disruption "moderate fast cash loans."

Regarding the availability of the generation French, it is mixed: most important for the period January, at least in contrast to the months of November and December, due to the revised schedule of the facility.

Wednesday, Eric Besson welcomed RTE can count on an average of 1400 MW: Further expansion of wind power, new combined cycle gas came expand the portfolio of means of production.

Remains the black spot in Britain, has long been known. The region, which produces only 8% of the electricity it consumes, is particularly fragile. Certainly, infrastructure building projects exist, but they are slow to be realized.

From our correspondent in Berlin

The symbol will not have escaped anyone. The first act of the EU summit held in Berlin earlier this afternoon. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recueillli a very large majority, including within its own ranks, having traced the Bundestag outline of the stabilization plan for the euro area, as envisaged by Germany.

Some 503 deputies of 596 votes cast, approved the "motion" filed jointly by the government majority and the opposition. The two pages of the text set to Angela Markel its room for negotiation, deal with its European counterparts, tonight no question of charging more the European Central Bank, making it taste too many Germans. And not about to spend more than 211 billion euros already pledged by the country.The Chancellor had to fly to Brussels with a clear mandate, intended to strengthen the positions defended by Berlin.

She assured members that the solutions involving the ECB for the enlargement of the European Financial Stability Dondi "are no longer on the table" for negotiations provided for in the evening. A key point for Berlin, where the risk of inflation is the line not to cross. Therefore the purchase of government bonds on the secondary market should be transferred to the ECB EFSF. The outstanding guarantees amounting to 211 billion euros in Germany, will not be increased, has added Merkel.The conclusions of the summit will EFSF then again ratified by the Bundestag, the chancellor promised.

Need to amend the Treaties

"Unemployment has not been this low in 20 years" in the country said Angela Merkel, stressing that it will work on the implementation of "viable" tonight online payday loans. But Germany can not continue to act as if its European partners are in trouble. This is why Europe must become a "union of stability." The objective is clear: "prevent the crisis from spreading to other European countries."

For Greece, the Chancellor said that the goal is to "find a solution that would allow Greece to have a debt / GDP ratio of 120% by 2020." "It is impossible without the private sector participates more strongly than had been decided in July," she said.The discount should be between 50% and 60%, parliamentary sources said.

"The report of the troika shows that Greece is the beginning of a long and difficult road," said Merkel advocating sending a permanent mission in Athens to help the country return to growth .

For Angela Merkel, the crisis demonstrated the need to modify the EU treaties to impose greater "stability culture" in the economic and monetary union. Berlin wants to include enhanced penalties, with the possibility of prosecution before the European Court of Justice, for countries that violate the rules of the European Stability Pact. "We must repair the imperfections of the euro, now or never," she insisted.

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