World and National News

Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has denied reports published by Spanish newspaper AS that he wanted to buy the Spanish club Real Madrid for the sum of one billion euros. In a statement released by the official WAM news agency, a source close to the sheik, said he wanted to "[focus] now all his efforts and attention on Manchester City to assure him a place among the elite clubs of the United Kingdom" .

It is true that such transaction is impractical. And for two reasons. Initially, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was to get rid of Manchester City, which is the current owner, one person can not have two clubs at once, according to UEFA rules.

Second, it proves to be much more complicated to solve. Real Madrid had to change its constitution and become a sports company.A development which requires the approval of … "socios". Contrary to most Spanish clubs, Real Madrid, like FC Barcelona is an association "nonprofit" that belongs to its members that are other than the supporters club.

327 million euros of debt accumulated

For now, Real Madrid continued to accumulate debts, which reached this year, 327 million. And nothing says recall that last summer, the Madrid club has paid a quick one, Brazilian Kaka (65 million euros), the French Karim Benzema (35 million euros) and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (94 million euros). In total, the club Castilian spent last summer, the tidy sum of 250 million euros.It is club football that generates the most revenue in the world with revenues of 365.8 million euros.

Although he denied the report, Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan keeps an eye on Real Madrid. The UAE dignitary "rightly appreciates the experience of Real Madrid and he is a big supporter of the twinning agreement signed in 2005 between the Spanish club and the club Al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi which he chairs.

The commercial success of Ariane would be impossible without an industrial organization has become, over the years, more effective. Until 2002, the CNES was responsible for developing the rocket, Arianespace managing manufacturing and Aerospatiale, the ancestor of Astrium, took charge of industrial architecture. This division of labor worked somehow. Each pitcher was a prototype. This organization generates a lot of losses.

After the drama of the maiden flight of Ariane 5, June 4, 1996, the failure of the model is used. The new rocket exploded in flight; European space wavers. "It is the founding event. He had organizational change. Finally, the European Space Agency has decided, under German leadership, entrusted with the responsibility of Astrium development and production, "said Francois Auque, President of Astrium.The reorganization was launched under his leadership.

Specialization sites, reduction (- 25% production – 40% in the support functions), quality improvement … It is to stabilize the development model of Ariadne to improve reliability and meet delivery. "The success of a pitcher is related to its reliability and its competitiveness, stressed the President of Astrium. We are able to deliver the launcher three to four days before the contractual date. "

Subject sophisticated technology, the Ariane 5 is the first to be produced in series. In early 2009, Astrium took command of 35 Ariane 5 to 4 billion euros. The manufacturer will provide 7 launchers per year from the second half of 2010. The availability of Ariane is guaranteed until 2015. Reassuring for customers!

The organization is well established.10 countries and 86 suppliers are engaged in the manufacture of the launcher. However 80% Franco-German and 60% French. Astrium is prime contractor for the launcher and floors that are assembled in Les Mureaux in France and Bremen in Germany. The French engine manufacturer Safran provides the Vulcain engine, SNPE two boosters powder, Astrium Germany cryogenic engine of the second floor.

The rocket comes in kit form in Guyana. Several times a year along the Seine, the lower part of the rocket 35 meters long and 5 meters in diameter with its engine supports Le Havre aboard a barge. From there it crosses the Atlantic on a container ship. A trip looks identical to the second floor from the port of Bremen. The junction is realized in Kourou space base Guiana, which, with its 1 350 employees, is the largest private employer in the department. Ariane is assembled on site by teams of Astrium and Arianespace.This phase lasts on average six weeks before the launch.

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A good student in terms of parity

For companies with over 50 employees, the countdown has begun. On 1 January 2010, those who are not covered by a sector agreement will be entered into an agreement or plan of action for the employment of seniors, with the unions concerned. While the fine provided for non-compliance with the law of frightening companies weakened by the crisis – it will amount to 1% of payroll – Labor Minister Xavier Darcos said Sunday in columns of a Parisian down the deadline for companies with fewer than 300 employees. These SMEs have three more months to comply with the law.

For companies with more than 300 employees, however, including "more than 1,000 agreements have already been adopted," the law will apply."Businesses must take this opportunity to end a tremendous waste of skills and social innovation by offering training, mentoring, part-time" said the minister.

France deplores, with 38% of senior operating, one of the worst rates in the European area. Called to order by Brussels after the relative failure of a first inter-national agreement in 2005, the government now hopes "to achieve the fastest possible EU target 'of 50% of 55-64 years at work. Left to threaten with a stick especially feared in times of crisis.

British Airways won a first victory against his crew. The British airline, which deemed it illegal to vote on a strike by its employees last Monday, just win the case on Thursday. A British judge of the High Court in London took the view that the strike, scheduled from December 22 to January 2, was not legal.

According to the interim ruling issued Thursday, irregularities were committed during the vote in which employees were asked to vote on the principle of the strike. The judge ruled that the company disputed the fact that such employees being dismissed have taken part in the poll.

The management of British Airways welcomes the victory. "We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a strike at Christmas has been lifted.It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families in the United Kingdom and around the world. "

The conflict is not over

This decision does not preclude the union Unite, causing the motion to proceed to another vote. For employees in anger, the movement will only end if the negotiations succeed. But for now, discussions are taking the wrong direction.

The direction of the British airline and representatives of Unite had met on Wednesday but failed to agree on a compromise. British Airways refuses to reverse the changes already implemented such as reducing the number of crew members on long distance flights and short haul.

If such a work stoppage occurs, it would be the first strike at British Airways since 1997, and the longest in the history of British aviation.The company would lose big on this account since the holiday season to carry one million passengers on Flight 7000.

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The first results of the survey of 102,000 employees of France Telecom are falling, and they are not in favor of the operator. "Felt generally very degraded", "weakening the physical and mental health of some employees'" work atmosphere tense, even violent "are some of the findings prepared by the firm specializes Technologia at the end of the investigation since mid-October in France Telecom. A summary of 75 pages which had access to the Associated Press was delivered Monday morning to both management and unions of the operator.

They were more than 80,000 employees of the group or 77.9% to the questionnaire prepared by Technologia, Workforce oldest in the company and the most experienced showing particularly concerned.

"A functional mobility badly accompanied"

The summary report shows the "strong concerns" of employees surveyed, with the consequence including the loss of the "pride of belonging to France Telecom" and "felt generally very degraded." They were in fact 96% say that proud of this membership cons only 39% today. The difficult working conditions, with a "weakening of the physical and mental health", mainly those in charge of sales and "interventions customers.

More generally, the investigation reveals a "functional mobility badly together," and a "geographical mobility of non-sensitive framework, thus confirming an earlier observation made by many employees.In total they are 55% declare themselves "somewhat dissatisfied" on a professional level, and 65% believed that their working conditions have deteriorated, according to the CFE-CGC.

Moreover, "social relations deteriorated" are found among non-executives, including a "major failure of management" and "working atmosphere tense, even violent.

"The diagnosis is indicative of the internal situation" responded Patrice Diochet the CFTC, adding hope that "this diagnosis is a detonator." "We must use this tool to put pressure on the ongoing negotiations on stress," he added.

Playing the card of transparency in anticipation of these results, France Telecom announced a total of 32 suicides among its members for two years. The operator has not yet made public its reaction.

The boss of EDF, Henri Proglio, presented Thursday to Laurent Wauquiez report on the promotion and development of alternation that Nicolas Sarkozy had ordered in April. Secretary of State for Employment wants some of its proposals – the promotion of alternation in terms of performance of public contracts, creating a portal to alternate or launching a campaign communication – to be "implemented immediately. To achieve the objective that five young people either in training by alternating between 2015 'and is closer to Germany in the field, it will launch workshops alternation.

Simplifying funding

These "think-tanks of learning", composed of representatives of training centers of chambers, organizations collecting funds and training of young apprentices must make by February "concrete answers to three questions major.

Primo, Laurent Wauquiez asked to indicate "how to help trainees in their daily lives, especially their conditions of transport, accommodation, purchase of equipment, their enterprise search or choice of their training.

Deuzio, he asks "how to develop alternate" and "extend to all levels of curriculum" and "tertiary trades" that employ only 8% of apprentices in France while there are massive deposits in tourism or call centers. The issue of quota systems, mentioned in the report Proglio, should be particularly addressed.

Thirdly, the Secretary of State for Employment will "simplify the steps or funding to encourage more companies to capitalize on the alternation.

The Paris Bourse breath on Monday following a sharp rise in a row Friday to U.S. unemployment figures. The improvement on the labor market in the United States did not establish a huge bullish consensus within the financial community. Factors support abound yet not: the rise of the dollar against major currencies has helped export values to hold their own game in the coast. But the recent outperformance of equity markets suggests that the good news on Friday was already included in prices.

At closing, the Paris Bourse shows a small decline of 0.17% to 3840 points. Even locations in London, which fell 0.22% and Frankfurt back from 0.57% to 5784 points.

More at 18h15.

Accompanied by his Ministers of Economy Christine Lagarde, the revival Patrick Devedjian, Industry Christian Estrosi and Secretary of State for Defense Hubert Falco, Nicolas Sarkozy said the government would "continue to support the economy "but a" strict policy "would be excluded.

During a speech about three quarters of an hour, the head of state said that economic policy led by France during the crisis was "good", but it should continue to vigilant. "When we see that France has the smallest recession, we still must honestly say that economic policy is conducted for something," he said.Point by point, he defended the recovery plan: the bailout of banks' not a euro cost to taxpayers, "the premium breaks that" has benefited 500,000 vehicles or the creation of ombudsman credit allowed to "save 160,000 jobs" …

But Nicolas Sarkozy, "the time is not complacency, while unemployment continues to rise. "This is not because the economic indicators are improving that the crisis is behind us," he said. As such, he called to act soberly, avoiding both over-react "or" under-react. "

Regarding the economic outlook for the current year, Nicolas Sarkozy said that French GDP would decline from 2 to 2.1% in 2009. The forecast growth of government is currently -2.25% and the economy minister, Christine Lagarde, had mentioned last week a decline of 2.2%.

Eliminating the excesses of capitalism

Regarding the appointment of Michel Barnier at the French post of European Commissioner for Internal Market, which will also support financial services, the Head of State said that it would promote a European financial model as opposed to Anglo-Saxon. "The crisis has come adrift of Anglo-Saxon, I want the world to win the European model that has nothing to do with the excesses of financial capitalism," he said. Last Saturday, before the national council of the UMP, he welcomed the appointment of Michel Barnier, calling it a "triumph" of French ideas in regulation.