Germany: higher salaries in industry

 

Historical salary increases announced this weekend across the Rhine fall sheer to Berlin. Germany sees further evidence of the virtues of the model of growth through structural reforms advocated by the government of Angela Merkel. The approximately 800,000 employees in the metal in the regional state of Baden-Württemberg (southwest) achieved a 4.3% increase in their wages after marathon negotiations, announced their union IG Metall on Saturday morning.

This regional agreement, valid from this month until April 2013, is the first to be signed this year in Germany in this vast branch of German industry.

Policy interventions

The agreement, which should serve as a benchmark for other agreements across the country, covers the major German manufacturing industries, including automakers such as Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW. A total of 3.6 million people are employed in the industry a pillar industry for exports to Europe's largest economy.

This is the largest increase in wages since 1992. After ten years of effort, followed by a stagnation of wages over time as the economic crisis is overcome, the German trade unions are now demanding their share. This historic increase was achieved thanks in part to calls from German politicians who have broken with their tradition of not intervening in wage negotiations. Thus, the finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has repeatedly called for sharp increases, holding that wage growth in Germany would be faster than the rest of Europe.

Employees in the metal are found, however, worse off than two million civil servants in the country, who have dropped out in late March up 6.3% of their salaries. These increases are expected to reinforce the momentum of domestic consumption beyond the Rhine, long considered the Achilles heel of German growth. They should also help to reduce imbalances, sources of tensions within the euro area. P. S.-P.

ALSO READ:

"Germany: Merkel agrees to the proposed minimum wage

If you need same day cash approval without completing tedious application procedure, cash advance no faxing is the deal for you.

Free Mobile has recruited 2.6 million customers

 

In the wake of its entry in the booming mobile market, Free Mobile revealed it had won 2.6 million customers in late March, while Orange was losing 615,000, 620,000 SFR and 89,000 MVNOs. "Never an operator has won as many customers in as little time," said Xavier Niel, founder and owner of Free.

The small sign operator and a great commercial success and won the bet he had set himself. Indeed, he won 4% market share on the mobile in 80 days. Its goal is eventually to have 25% market share.

Satisfaction is complete for Xavier Niel, especially as Free has received the "halo of mobile" on its activities as a fixed, where it now exceeds 5 million subscribers: he recorded a 50% market share recruitment broadband in the first quarter of 2012 and its activity is fixed in 9.8% growth over the quarter. Leaves to change operator in the mobile, and to benefit from even better prices, some customers were quick to switch their internet subscription and exchange their old box against a Freebox.

Impact difficult to quantify

Remains now is whether this success will continue over time, while competitors such as Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Virgin argue that the bleeding has stopped customers since mid-March and they recover even customers parties at Free.

Free, which shows a quarterly revenue up 29% to 656 million euros, did not give the average revenue per user (ARPU), a key figure in the telecoms field. He simply said that customers were divided "balanced" between the subscribers of a subscription to two euros and those who opted for a more profitable subscription to 19.99 euros a month.  

Therefore difficult to measure the impact of the launch of Free Mobile on the margins of the operator. "The quality of the distribution of offers within the mobile subscriber base is evidence of a sustainable business model and economics," Free said simply. In sales, the mobile has generated 97.5 million euros, of which 11.5 million euros from the sale of terminals and 86 million for the telecom services business. The set weighs about him almost 560 million euros.

Aviva's CEO resigns

 

The "Spring of shareholders" in the City made a victim. Andrew Moss, head of the British insurer Aviva, resigned Tuesday after suffering a historic setback against his compensation during the general assembly of the firm last week. He might himself have abandoned a planned increase of 4.6% of annual salary of 960,000 pounds (1.2 million), shareholders with 54% disavowed his remuneration package. Taking note of this humiliation, he chose to retire to try to appease the revolt. Aviva's action was immediately flown more than 5% at the London Stock Exchange.

The fat cats ("fat cats"), as they are called here, hug the walls in the European capital of finance. For months, wages at six or seven zeros and their bonuses are exponential in the hot seat. Shareholder activism, biased against remuneration unrelated to performance in crisis, the disapproval of public opinion and government voluntarism in this area combine to send the message to the bosses Taking arrived.

In the same day on Tuesday, the Chief of the bookmaker William Hill, Ralph Topping, has narrowly escaped facing a turbulent AG which voted 49.8% against the salary increase of 8.3% and a bonus of 1.2 million pounds. A small carrier angrily denounced "the feast of the last chance for CEOs who try to take as much as possible while there is still time."  

Last week, Sly Bailey, the leader of the newspaper group Trinity Mirror, has also resigned rather than having to face this Thursday the shareholder revolt over his salary of 1.7 million pounds, while the action of the company lost 90% of its value since she took control.

Bill

Friday, it was the turn of the leaders of energy giant Centrica to face the challenge of a package of 4.3 million pounds intended for his boss, Sam Laidlaw. This agitation is not the fact of radical activist shareholders. Large institutional investors now lead the protest. 32% of those of Barclays Bank have opposed or abstained on the 17 million pounds of CEO Bob Diamond and 2.1 billion of bonuses distributed in the house, three times the amount of dividends paid.

"The shareholders have lost patience exasperated, says Sarah Wilson, leader of the association of small shareholders Manifest. This is not a political movement but the requirement for better business performance. The occupation movement of the London Stock Exchange has legitimized the need for state regulation since the boards were not able to regulate itself. "

A bill will be presented precisely this Wednesday's Speech from the Throne. One of its most controversial provisions, however, may be abandoned: it planned to require the approval of compensation plans for a three-fourths majority of shareholders. But the law should make the vote binding general meetings so far merely advisory.

Meanwhile, the "Spring of the shareholders' only budding. The association of retired FairPensions has launched a campaign for all retirees, widows Scottish kind, make their voices heard against excessive compensation. English executive salaries jumped 49% in one year.

ALSO READ:

"U.S.: CEOs have pocketed $ 2 billion in 2011

"Banking: the Fronde shareholder

"In the City," a terrible atmosphere "

PSA suffers from lower car sales

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

Of American fiction on France 3

 

The American series arrives on France 3. Chain regions broke his piggy bank to afford a nice kind of success, the miniseries Mildred Pierce, whose title role was incarnated on screen by the talented Kate Winslet. The latter is even won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance. This is from the prestigious HBO that France 3 acquired these five one-hour episodes. They are likely to be broadcast on Sunday evening by early 2013. Time Orange, who is the first broadcaster, exhausting his rights to his channel Orange Cinema Series.

For France 3, it is, according to David Djaoui, director of programming and acquisitions in the chain, "to create the event on a space usually devoted to the European crime series recurring." Usually, these are shows like Barnaby, Murdoch and Dr. Lewis are presented this evening, with some success for hearing. On average, these three series make between 11 and 12% audience share, or scores well above the average of the chain, which now runs at around 9%.

"We want a few times a year, offering a prestigious miniseries, in a very targeted against logic-programming compared to what we usually offer," he says. But the manager also promises that this foray into the demanding world of the American series "will never have anything to do with that suggest the main commercial channels TF1 and M6-type" with Mentalist or House MD. And for good reason. If the string "is not prohibited in the future to repeat the experiment" with suppliers as prestigious as HBO or Showtime, it must demonstrate opportunism to acquire existing rights.  

Human second choice

All major providers of American series are subject to long-term contracts with private televisions. Leaving the public channels that the possibility of acquiring the second choice of studios or production miraculously escaped this type of contract.

This is also why France 3 no longer hesitates to invest in pre-purchase of the miniseries. Thus, the chain announced the pre-purchase of 52 minutes eight times World Without End, the sequel to the blockbuster Germano-Canadian Pillars of the Earth. A real risk, given hearings that made the first season on the line, averaging 8.4%. But, says David Djaoui, this series' has performed well on our qualitative barometer. " Similarly, the chain intends to pre-purchase exclusive first Swedish police a series of at least six episodes to power the same box. These purchases are intended to show that France 3 "moves, intends to modernize and rejuvenate at a time when the media landscape becomes more complex. Next year will be even more complicated for us, public channels, in a universe of twenty-five chains, "says David Djaoui.

Ironically, these announcements come as the National Film Centre (CNC) has announced its willingness to revive French fiction and particularly to focus on new formats that are 52 and 45 minutes. Until then, France 3 emerged as the champion in all categories of the film unit of 90 minutes. Suffice to say that the French producers will have to start the page, even with the chain regions.

ALSO READ:

"A recovery plan for French fiction

"Anne Sinclair on the set of BFMTV

"Public broadcasting, the big loser of the TNT

Orange said to be nothing in the failure of Free

 

Deal with failures and congestion at peak times on the network of Free Mobile, the regulator, Jean-Ludovic Silicani referred back to back and Free Orange mobile, connected by a roaming agreement. Result: Orange has threatened to suspend service if something goes wrong. Ultimately, consumers do not understand anything. UFC-Que Choisir has asked for an explanation and compensation for clients. Since Tuesday, the customer portal on its website, Free mobile communicates the reasons for the different reference technical problems and five failures, dated March 2 to 25. The operator foresees a gradual return to normal next week.

LE FIGARO – Specifically, what do roaming provided by Orange Free Mobile?

Jean-Luc Vuillemin – Orange has its network across France. Free Mobile has its own, but there are currently limited coverage. Simply allows Orange Free Mobile subscribers on its network to come when they are not covered by Free. This model, known as roaming, is very different from the MVNOs like Virgin Mobile, for example, that it is completely hosted on the Orange network. Virgin customers have own SIM cards but they only use the Orange network.

What causes the failures?

There are two types of failures. First, those related to the functioning of Free network. On the other hand, those who take part in defining the interconnection link between the network and our Free. In both cases, Orange is in no way responsible for malfunctions of Customer Freemobile. With regard to equipment malfunctions Free Mobile Network, it was concerned for the failure of 2 and 14 March, signaling transfer points that identify subscribers Freemobile where they are, what service they are entitled, and which are involved in each call from a client including Free when roaming on the Orange network, and the failure of 20 in a micro network Freemobile.

What causes congestion at peak times?

This is precisely the second category of dysfunction, related to the design of interconnection link between the network and Free Orange network. Orange provides Freemobile these interconnect links called BPN (primary digital block) based on traffic forecasts that Freemobile gives us. The size of this link interconnection is the sole responsibility of Free has underestimated its forecasts, which explains the inconvenience Online payday loans. Orange is the responsibility of its network is working, what is the case, since the beginning!

Are you responsible, at least in part, as suggested by the regulator?

In any way. And my teams who have at heart their operator business networks, have been married very amalgam of various statements in recent days suggesting that Orange Free mobile shared with the responsibility for these failures. Orange has no responsibility in incidents encountered by Free. We spend a lot of time designing and making our live networks. We, of course, anticipated that customers Free emerge from the old 2G handsets in their drawers … The terminal base is key for the network that we follow very precisely.

Orange is it affected by failures recorded on the Free Mobile?

The contract provides that if the Orange network was affected, we may suspend service to Free, the time it finds a normal operation. We are therefore protected and our clients have no reason to worry about the quality of service Orange. They can be fully reassured. We were ranked first network by ARCEP, and we intend to maintain this quality. My team includes 6,000 people who work day and night, 365 days a year on the network, to maintain quality.

A mobile network is it more complicated to manage than a landline?

Yes, it is undoubtedly more complex. First, because in a mobile network the subscriber is constantly moving and the network must constantly issue queries to see where he is. On the other hand, in a fixed network operator mastering the whole chain as it is he who provides the box at the customer's home. In Mobile, in the terminal end of the chain can be a 2G phone, 3G phone, smartphone Android, Apple, Nokia, or even a tablet. There are thousands of combinations which greatly complicates the task. Over time, Orange has gained a real expertise that a young operator, whatever, can not have. This is what makes all the difference. Launch a mobile operator is very complicated. It takes skills internally, and in sufficient quantity.

ALSO READ:

"Incident at Free Mobile

"The previous Free plays with the spirit of the Telecom Act

French universities abroad misclassified

 

France is hardly served in international rankings in education. Only four of its representatives are emerging among the 100 institutions classified Thursday morning by the Times Higher Education (THE), a British weekly known for the seriousness of its rankings. France ranks as the seventh largest in the world.

The Paris-Sorbonne University is located between 71st and 80th place of the second international league based on "reputation". It occupied the 91st place last year. Then comes the Polytechnic, which ranks between 91st and 100th place. This year, two new institutions enter the prestigious list: the University Paris-Sud (Orsay) and the University Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI), both beyond the 91st place.

"France is well represented in these tables, with four institutions in the top 100, more than Canada, and more than double the number of representatives of China. But the country's authorities should be concerned that such a system of higher education with a long tradition of excellence has its highest ranked institution beyond the 71st, well behind the leading institutions in England and Germany "by Phil Baty, the head of the ranking. And the specialist to wonder: "Maybe the current reforms in the French higher education will they do the difference in the longer term, but for now there is much uncertainty and confusion about the French system, which can affect the country's reputation among scholars throughout the world. "

A "business" full

The study measures the reputation of excellence in both teaching and in research by 117,554 educators from 137 countries. Given a choice between 6000 and institutions were asked what were the best institutions in their field of specialty. The issue of reputation is important in the era of the internationalization of education, as universities compete with each other to attract the best students. And they are buying more and more a "brand" when they enroll in an institution. It has become a "business" in its own right, according to THE.

The first six of the classification, called "super brands" in the study because they crush all others because of their notoriety, are again American universities Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the English university of Cambridge, two new American, Stanford and Berkeley, and Oxford. These universities' dominate the head and shoulders above the other institutions, "the study said.

The U.S. dominates with 44 institutions which are among the first hundred, ten are British, and five are Japanese. Five others were Dutch. Followed by Germany, Australia and France, each with four institutions.

Revolution to the incomes of pharmacists

 

Health professionals, yes; traders, no. Traditionally, pharmacists refuse to be mistaken for "grocers". Yet their compensation depends only on the amount of drugs they deliver: a fixed sum per box, plus a percentage of the sales price. But that should change soon. Unions of pharmacists and Medicare are conducting a negotiation whose term is scheduled for March 28 and whose objective is to diversify their earnings. They should soon receive a "fee" valuing their missions of prevention, screening and support for patients in their treatment.

While pushing the profession to move in that direction. Looking for savings to Social Security, the State declining year by year the prices of reimbursed medicines. This is the pharmaceutical industry is concerned, but pharmacies are affected indirectly. Meanwhile, the volumes go up more slowly than in the past, indirect consequence of the case Mediator, who chipped patients' confidence in medicines.

Pharmacists work so many years to expand their role, or indeed, to recognize and pay duties they already perform more or less informal. Governments are receptive, because they see a partial solution to the deserts medical (drug stores are well distributed across the country) and the size of firms. The law "Bachelot" of 2009 formalized these missions. The 2012 budget of the Safely authorized their remuneration. The current negotiations must make it happen.

Two types of innovations are planned. Of "dispensing fee", first, that rémunéreront the advice given by the pharmacist when dispensing drugs. Magnitude discussed: 1 euro or 1.50 euro for each prescription. The sum could be modulated, for example by age of patient (an increase for the elderly or babies, often complex cases).

Then, a compensation of each pharmacy on efficiency targets (issued by generic) or public health. This is probably clarify the terms of this last part that the majority of work still lies ahead. A bonus could be given to pharmacies that always deliver the same brand of generic chronic, especially seniors, to avoid confusion in the treatments.

Pharmacists could also meet regularly with patients taking anticoagulants, which are at risk of serious interactions with other drugs, or treated with Subutex (substitute for heroin), to adjust their dosages. These "interviews pharmaceuticals" – no question of using the word "consultation" so as not to upset the doctors – would be paid to the unit or by an annual amount per patient monitoring. They would take place as part of a treatment protocol, a contract for three, doctor, patient and pharmacist.

Purpose of trade unions of pharmacists and FSPF USPO: 25% of revenues from these new compounds remuneration within five years. The negotiation will determine the share of these amounts between Medicare and complementary, participating in discussions. Above all they must fix the total amount of the budget allocated to pharmacies. Medicare, with limited financial margins, would the same. The unions are demanding an increase comparable to that of total health expenditure, or 2.5%. Essential, they argue, because there will be Winners and Losers in pharmacies. But their situation has weakened in recent years. One hundred pharmacies close every 22,000 years: a marginal phenomenon but unpublished.

ALSO READ:

"A pharmacy discount giant in Ile-de-France

"The effectiveness of some generic questioned

"These patients are going to doctors, lack of money

The puzzle dental fee

Friday, dentists Liberals, too, began a negotiation with Medicare. The CNSD majority union, hopes to pay for guards Sunday and alignment of the consultation fee to that of physicians (23 euros against 21).

But both parties are under no illusions: because of the leeway of Social Security, they will not solve the main problem for patients, yet they admit both. For decades, the rates for conservative treatment (caries, scaling …) and surgical (extractions …), set by Medicare, are undervalued. Dentists to "catch up" on bridges and crowns, to free prices but poorly reimbursed.

They are happy to try to establish a finer grid tariffs, which will allow the social security and complementary to better understand the activity of dentists … and perhaps to adjust rates during the following convention. They also specify the quote must present dentists, distinguishing manufacturing cost of the prosthesis and other charges, on the one hand, and amount of benefit, on the other.

Dexia Bank Belgium becomes Belfius

 

Belgium Yellow laughs. Dexia Bank Belgium, one of its major financial institutions, has been renamed Belfius Thursday. After five months of study and a budget of 35 million euros, advertisers have defended their choice: "Bel" evokes the flat country, the 100% owner of the house, "fi" suggests the financial sphere, and "us "English in the text, adds a touch of both collective and international. A cocktail effective in erasing the past. "The most romantic of us can not help but associate" nice "to beautiful, while the technicians will instead link" fius "and English" fuse "," has swept the direction the bank. The response has exceeded his hopes payday loans. The new name stoked passions throughout the country. On Twitter, users will give heart to joy for its proximity to the mock-rays or frozen yogurt. "I resisted the bank run of 2008 … the losses of 2009, I accepted Zean-Luc, supported the division of Dexia Belfius … but it is too," sighed a client. A poll in the daily Le Soir, the name Bebank have collected all the votes, but it masked the insurance business. After four years of financial crisis, which grounded the champions of the country, the Belgians pulled out their best weapons to protest: black humor and taste for the absurd.

ALSO READ:

"More than 10 billion euros in losses for Dexia in 2011

Industrial jobs: when the government gets involved

 

The intervention of Nicolas Sarkozy to save Alstom in summer 2004, to his recent statements in favor of employees of ArcelorMittal Florange site, the head of state has been well arise in the opponent's famous statement Lionel Jospin: "The state can not do everything." At least when it comes to industrial employment. "We must at all costs strangle the flow of blood Industrial France," he repeated again in January. Since 2007, the government frequently intervened in several disputes, most often publicized in order to save jobs. A few weeks before the presidential election, the employees do not hesitate to use the campaign to make their demands heard. Overview of some government promises … and their future.

The success

• Photowatt. The resumption of French pioneer of photovoltaics by EDF no longer in doubt. Next Monday, the commercial court of Vienna should assign the assets of Photowatt to the public company called to the rescue by the Head of State at the end of January. Previously, STMicroelectronics, specialized microprocessors, had been approached. Without success. The next upturn of the SME Isère by EDF Energies Nouvelles is good news for employees: the subsidiary of the electrician has pledged to resume on 430 and 345 to reclassify within 60 km of the 85 remaining employees. "Everybody has a job, I do not see what you could get any better," responded Tuesday a Steward FW, while conceding that "the industrial project is to build". According to the UMP Bourgoin, Alain Moyne-Bressan, must already "put 50 million euros on the table for the coming months."

• Lejaby. Mid-January 2012, the Tribunal de Commerce de Lyon chose Alain Prost, former manager of La Perla and Chantelle, as the buyer of the manufacturer of linen placed in receivership. Only problem: the entrepreneur, who keeps only about 450 195 employees, wants to relocate the entire production in Tunisia. This is sign the death warrant of the factory Lejaby Yssingeaux, and the dismissal of his 93 employees. An announcement of the worst effect when the candidate Nicolas Sarkozy – not yet declared – boasts the "Made in France". "I will not let down the people of Lejaby," he warned on January 29. It is ultimately the luxury group LVMH, requested by the Elysee, which will come to the aid of the factory from Auvergne. The takeover bid, from a subcontractor for Louis Vuitton, the company Sofama, was filed on February 1. All staff should be re-employed on permanent contracts, and converted into luxury leather goods.  

Failures:

• Gandhinagar. February 4, 2008, the Head of State gives hope to the 595 employees of ArcelorMittal factory in Lorraine, then threatened with partial closure in the near future. "The State prefers to invest in modernizing the site rather than paying people to go with either early retirement or unemployed," he explained then. He continued: "I will myself announce it has found the solution." If, despite these promises, 595 jobs will actually be discontinued from 31 March 2009, the city of Gandhinagar, however, benefited from a state investment of 5 million for a learning center, and a contract worth 300 million euros between RFF and the steelmaker Corus. Objective: To produce the rails RFF within its Hayange plant, near the disaster site.

"Nicolas Sarkozy in Gandhinagar:

……