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At Air France, social negotiations enter the heart of the matter. Thursday, at a central works council, the CEO of the company, Alexander Juniac, will unveil its industrial plan for the next three years. Air France, a lot of competitiveness, will not give any activity, but all will be involved in the effort. The low-cost group, Transavia, should be expanded and take some leisure destinations of Air France. The long haul should seek to cut costs – especially in economy class – and improve its services "business." The cargo should reduce the number of devices that are fully dedicated. Maintenance costs and reduce its rates to remain competitive

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Overall objective on which management and unions agreed last March: lower costs by 20%, excluding fuel. "There are in the business awareness on the situation of the company, confided mid-April the President of the Air France KLM, Jean-Cyril Spinetta. This is no longer debate. Everyone understands the need to act. "For Air France employees, it will mean two things: an increase of working time – key point of the renegotiation of all enterprise agreements – but also job cuts.

On this last point is highly sensitive, time calculations has officially not yet come. The company officials are sticking to the schedule already announced: it's the end of June they will detail the steps taken to refine the silhouette of a sustainable business. Reportedly, the total job cuts expected to reach 5,000 jobs by 2015, without layoffs.

Measures open for the first time pilots

Air France account first, as in the past, the attrition of employees not replaced to trim down. Each year, 800 people leave the company. Their failure to replace three consecutive years will result in 2,400 fewer positions.

In addition, a voluntary separation plan to double the number of cuts to achieve end to 5000 jobs. The pace will be accelerated significantly payday loans for bad credit. Past three years, Air France has quietly defatted its workforce of 4,000 positions, including 1,800 voluntary redundancies as part already, a plan launched in 2009.

But this time, Air France will go further: the separation plan will be open to all categories of staff: hostesses and stewards, ground staff and … drivers. A first.

In 4000 Air France pilots, we should indeed find candidates initially. Since the age of retirement has been pushed back 65 years later, the age group over 55, or 590 people, could find an interest to receive an incentive that would allow them to leave the company earlier .

"Pilots who work for twenty-five to thirty years in the business could benefit from the maximum bonus," said a company pilot. According to figures from Air France, at least 500 pilots over twenty-five years of seniority at the counter. The French pilots who see their colleagues KLM to retire at age 57 and those of British Airways to 54 say they are such a measure would repair an injustice.

As for other staff, several trade unions, as Unac, majority among hostesses and stewards (PNC), have put their requirements last week.  

"If, despite the alternatives of preserving jobs, negotiations on the restructuring of Air France" transform15 ", led the company to make a collective redundancy plan affecting PNC, then we would negotiate an alternative to the criteria of a dismissals under the Labour Code with priority call for volunteers and incentive fees at the start, "said Frank Mikula of Unac.

"We can not afford to keep people made redundant, an executive summary of the Air France-KLM. Better to pay them not to keep. We will calibrate the plan to get a return on investment after two years. "

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For once it is not Airbus which organizes the festival, but ATR, the second aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, in the shadow of European giant. Equal subsidiary of EADS and Italy's Finmeccanica, the manufacturer of regional aircraft propeller book on Thursday, Air Nostrum, Iberia subsidiary of Spanish, the thousandth machine out of its assembly site.

A symbolic milestone for ATR's plans to increase its production by 60%, to 54 aircraft per year in 2010 to 70 this year to reach 80 to 90 per year by 2014. At the same time, its turnover has to go from 1.3 to 2 billion.

Consequently, extensions are underway on the site and "hundreds of jobs will be doubled," said Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO. ATR employs 1,000 people in Toulouse and in 6000 made working in France and Italy with subcontracting. Sitting on a record backlog representing three years of delivery, ATR new ambitions: "it is possible to reach the 2,000 aircraft delivered within ten to fifteen years," says the president.

China threat

To listen, you almost forget that the company, founded in 1981 with the launch of the ATR 300, narrowly escaped death in 2004 with a backlog of five aircraft. The manufacturer was the victim of the craze for jets that, throughout the 1990s, have conquered the regional aviation market while surfing a bit expensive oil.

"Our shareholders have been clear. They did not put the key under the door but had to hold ATR not to lose money, be in equilibrium. We therefore reduced the size of the company. It was that or death, "recalls Filippo Bagnato. ATR gathers her remaining strength to attract new customers. "We had to sell the plane three times to the airline, to subcontractors who were reluctant to invest and banks." ATR increases its range and benefits of soaring oil prices which increase operating costs of a regional jet. Propeller airplanes take their revenge. This is the slaughter. Only Canada's Bombardier and ATR survive, but not Saab, Fokker, Dornier, Jetstream, Fairchild … The airlines have their accounts: in the same journey, the "turboprop" consumes two times less fuel than a jet.

Despite its success, the manufacturer remains vigilant. The turboprop market is promising – with a projected delivery of 3,000 units from 50 to 90 seats in the next 20 years. It arouses desires. ATR expects a reaction which should give Bombardier a successor to its Q-400. He is also concerned about competition from China. "China has had limited success with the M 60 which is nothing more than an evolution of a Russian aircraft. But it launched a 70-seat aircraft and is considering a 90-seat aircraft, "said Filippo Bagnato. The M 700, a copy of ATR according to experts, is being developed. It is expected on the market within three to four years.

To stay ahead, ATR continues "feasibility analysis" on a larger aircraft with 90 seats. The development of a new propeller device costs twice cheaper than a jet – less than $ 2 billion. But the decision belongs to EADS and Finmeccanica.

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Roman Lucazeau, Chargé de Mission in the Business Institute, details the mechanisms at work in the test programs.

THE FIGARO.FR. – Why submit programs of candidates for this test?

Roman Lucazeau. – Although, compared to the 2007 presidential campaign, the programs of the two main candidates are more accurate, they still gray areas and are based on slightly different economic scenarios. This makes comparison difficult. So we tried to apply the same economic variables: growth rate, inflation, unemployment rate, by 2017. We also wanted to discover what happened to the public finances if the programs were implemented with, notably, lower growth than that provided by the candidates, for example, that France has known, on average, over the past decade.  

Originally, this type of exercise is applied by the financial authorities to banks. These are subject to economic scenarios degraded to assess their strength in case of economic crisis. We use a similar method to test the ability of candidates to achieve their stated goal (zero deficit in 2016 for Nicolas Sarkozy in 2017 for Francis Holland).

But in a crisis, a candidate can always abandon its initial program

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Absolutely. We test the strength of their roadmap, as defined during the election campaign, in a worse position than they anticipate cheap business cards. We evaluate today's promises and do not prejudge the future president of the reactions in case of contingencies.  

How does this model?

We leave the bases nominee programs (eg growth rate, the level of taxes and public spending …) and against which they built their proposals. These assumptions are public and have been developed by their campaign teams. We determine how the deficit and debt change if we change some parameters on the basis of data and public reporting, the INSEE, the Court of Auditors and of Bercy. The details of our methodology is available on our website.

How do you ensure objectivity of your approach?

We submitted the candidates' platforms to the same constraints: same inflation, even growth, even drift government spending or health insurance, etc.. The differences between results are explained by the differences between the programs themselves. Debt strategy of the two candidates based on both on growth, tax increases and budget savings. But Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande do not intend to use these levers to the same extent. Their programs do not react the same way a change of parameters.

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

The egg hunt, chocolate bunnies or chickens will be open Sunday. Easter is indeed a special time to eat chocolate. A strong tradition since last year 12,500 tons of chocolate were sold at this time.

"We realize 20% of our turnover on this occasion. Easter with Christmas are the two highlights of the year for our business, "says Jean-Paul Burrus, president of Salpa, known for the brand Marquise de Sevigne.

The offensive of dark chocolate

The trend remains the great classics. "The most popular products are the egg, the chicken or the bells, with one exception in Alsace: the rabbit, a custom from Germany," says Jean-Paul Burrus. "After the eggs or square pyramidal and chickens conceptualized, the market returns to more traditional things," says Sylvain Quidel, head of Leonidas, whose bestsellers are topped with fried egg or rabbit. Dark chocolate is also continuing its offensive. At De Neuville, accounting for 40% of annual sales.

The chocolate does not seem to fear the consequences of the economic downturn, convinced that from twenty euros – the value of the average basket – it is a pleasure that is accessible. In addition, this year, consumption should be boosted by a calendar and a very favorable weather.

Entrepreneurs can now expect to spend less time on paperwork they must complete to satisfy the administration. The National Assembly finally passed the bill Wednesday on the easing of administrative procedures despite the guerrilla led by the left. Socialist deputies and senators have decided to seize the Constitutional Council on this legislation. François Rebsamen, President of the Socialist Group of the Senate, said the referral should be made Friday.

"Francois Hollande has displayed duplicity and said on TF1 to a contractor who asked that it was essential to reduce the administrative burden on enterprises when, at the same time, François Hollande, the Socialist member of the Assembly national, and Jean-Marc Ayrault defended a motion to dismiss on the simplification of the text. Simplification is neither right nor left. It is pragmatic and expected by economic agents, "said Frederic Lefebvre Thursday, Secretary of State for SMEs, with more of the 145 measures that will be implemented in the presence of Jean-Luc Warsmann (UMP), President of the Law Committee of the National Assembly and author of the bill.

New areas

The measures apply to both the conditions of entitlement to holiday pay as procurement of low value, the secured cabinet containing all the digital business information required by the government that the 240 million ballot wages published each year. The latter, with up to 30 lines, will be simplified in several steps. The items on the Social Security taxes and social contributions will be easier to understand from the 1st January 2013. Those on unemployment contributions, pension contributions and additional pension will be from 1 January 2015.

The device of the rescript in office, which allows a company to ask its opinion to the administration, will be improved. It will be extended to new areas such as rules for calculating payroll. The administration will respond within a specified time.

Most companies only file with the court an annual report containing information that can benefit their competitors. To monitor the implementation of 145 measures, Frédéric Lefebvre install the March 19 Committee of the reduction of paperwork consisting of officials and entrepreneurs.

In February, the U.S. bank Citigroup has taken to turn control of the record. Prior to announcing its sale in June, immediately arousing the interest of Universal.

Negotiations between the two partners have stumbled on the issue of management of pension costs. The agreement could finally be announced early next week fast cash online. But sources familiar with the FT interviewed by the warning that the agreement can still be challenged by a cons-bid Access Industries, owner of Warner Music.

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The tax is sure to be one of the main themes of the campaign. First question of democracy: the French have always been upset with the tax. This is not new. But now they no longer understand the meaning. Taxpayers do not know why they are not taxed when the money from. They wonder if they are "just" dizzy and taxed at the constant changes in the foot of the state, making our tax system totally unpredictable, unreadable, and therefore ineffective.How many French know they will pay for the first time this year a portion of their housing tax for inter-municipal, that is to say, of municipalities, they know nothing? How many business owners know exactly how much they will pay in lieu of business tax, abolished last year in favor of two new taxes? Reconcile with the citizen taxpayer is more than ever an imperative, when the both of them were again tempted to exile.

Question of economic efficiency then. One can only be struck by the complete lack of fiscal strategy of the Finance Bill 2012, currently under discussion in Parliament. In the eyes of officials of Bercy, the only way to increase tax revenues is to remove the niches or benefits made in the tax calculation.More than half of the 11 billion euros in additional savings are announced in late August and the removal of some old tax benefits. Now that the idea has been fueled largely with public opinion than the 104 billion euros in lost revenue for state coffers that are the fiscal and social niches, half are "very effective" or "inefficient", this solution is actually the easiest to implement. But it can serve as long-term program. As niches, whose real term is "tax expenditure", are as fundamental to encourage private investors to replace the public investor.No niches, no investment in France, which already sorely lacking.

Reform the income tax

The tax reform in 2012 will revolve around three major issues: how to bring balance between taxation of wealth and income? How to get to his income tax progressivity? What future for VAT?

To these questions, the UMP and the PS will provide different answers, of course bad credit payday advance. But the rules are the same for all. France can no longer raise taxes. The tax ratio-mandatory, ie the tax burden, amounted to 44.5% of GDP, close to its historical levels (44.9% in 1999). But conversely, the disastrous situation of public finances prevents them down.The "big bang" will be announced fiscal totally bounded in the universe: it will be a rebalancing in depth, but revenue constant.

Some lines of force emerge. The income tax in its present form, is on trial. Two transformations are emerging: reconsider its progressivity, that is to say goodbye slices. Or merge it with the CSG, an idea that has the favor of PS and a large part of the UMP. This merger should not be mistaken, broaden the tax base, will make the income tax fairer, but will also be more painful for the average incomes.

Similarly, it will not escape a VAT reform. Since 2008, 15 European countries have found, for fiscal consolidation, so much so that the rate of 19.6% French is now among the lowest in the euro area, 1 point lower than the average.Especially down at the other, the government chose to lower it for some sectors (food, building …).

Finally, there is the balance between taxation of income and wealth. The most sensitive issue. Recently, in Le Figaro, the budget minister Valérie Pécresse explained: "By raising taxes on savings, we compare the taxation of wealth from that of labor income." The road has only begun. One can imagine what awaits holders of wealth in the coming years …

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Grisaille Economic ambient softness unusual temperatures have probably induced consumers for caution September. Including their clothing purchases. Consequence: France, sales textile clothing tumbled 10% over same month last year.It French Institute fashion (IFM) which launches the alarm in his last letter Conjunctural.

This falling sales spares no distributor:

-Department stores accuse thus decline sales 7% by value in September versus the same period 2010

-Chains saw sales backward 10%

-Downward turnover is 12% for independent multibrand and 14% Monoprix.

Chez Monoprix we confirms that "weather unfavorable impacted sales" but also justifies this bad news by that September 2010 compared, was excellent months "sales had then effectively climbed 7% "says we the distributor.Postponement a commercial operation christened "The nine days», held last year September but is programmed this year straddling September and October has perhaps helped falling sales recognizes we also Monoprix payday advance lender.

Worst September long …

Side independents multibrand, falling sales was certainly 12% September but segment lingerie posted according IFM the best resistance (+0.3% in value in September).

All distributors confused, sales had started marking time soon summer balances was disappointing for distributors.During the period January-August 2011, they had already declined by 1.7% in value over the same period last year.

The downward trend has clearly intensified in September, which is the worst for the industry for a long time: according to the IFM, clothing sales in France had indeed increased 2% in 2010, which was a good year, after falling 8% in 2009. But climbed 1.2% 2008 and even 8.3% in 2007.

The outlook for the month of October are not provided completely obscured: true, according to Franck Delpal, an economist at the IFM, a slight improvement in weather clothing is not excluded in October, with relapse of temperatures .

Despite the overwhelming vote of the German Bundestag for the second aid package to Greece on Thursday, the race against the clock continues to George Papandreou. She took the look of a marathon: the Greek Prime Minister first met on Friday morning in Warsaw, the European president Hermann Van Rompuy to prepare the summit on 18 October ahead crucial, three months after the July 21, who had devoted a strengthening of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) without convincing the markets.

George Papandreou then went to the Elysee, in the late afternoon for a meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy. He assured the French president that his country was "determined to make every effort" to prevent the collapse of his country and invited experts from the area to go to Athens to see the extent of reforms course.This is one of the main achievements of the meeting on Friday in Paris: "The president urged the Greek prime minister to make it completely transparent with respect to creditor countries," it says in the entourage of Nicolas Sarkozy. In other words, European citizens to prove that Greece was best to keep its objectives. The stakes are high, as evidenced by the reception received by virulent responsible for the Troika (EU, IMF and ECB) income in Athens Friday to assess the process of fiscal consolidation implemented by the government.The officers demonstrated outside the government blocked their access to multiple departments, so that the meeting with the ministers of finance and administration reform took place in anonymous offices in Athens to avoid the challenge.

A moral obligation

These social tensions have led the president to praise the efforts of Greece, in a solemn declaration from the steps of the Elysee low interest personal loan. "The Greek people suffered a lot (…) but he must understand that in recent years too many reforms have been delayed." France will be at his side, he said. "We have a moral obligation to place the member countries of the eurozone and the European Union, said Nicolas Sarkozy.Europe is a civilization, a family and solidarity: when a family, one member is in trouble, all others must help him. "For the president, so" it is no question of dropping the Greek ", because" the failure of Greece would be the failure of the whole of Europe. "

In Paris, we keep tooth and nail to the strict application of the plan voted on July 21. After Germany, Thursday, Austria approved the turn Friday, becoming the twelfth state to say yes to seventeen. European leaders want the agreement to be first adopted by all members – by mid-October – before discussing any possible enhancement of the plan."The question of political credibility," insists there be at the Elysee, where you bet on the fact that financial markets will eventually be convinced that beyond the inevitable slowness of the political process in Europe takes measures appropriate to address the debt crisis.

But this second step could engage quickly Nicolas Sarkozy said he would travel to Berlin in the coming days to meet with German Chancellor in order to "accelerate economic integration in the euro area and put in place as soon as possible "the bailout of the single currency and Greece decided on July 21. This meeting could take place the next weekend.