World and National News

Good news for European women: since the month of May 2009, their unemployment rate, usually systematically higher than men, for the first time fell below theirs. A sudden catch that unfortunately we can not impute to the crisis. The sectors of industry and construction, traditionally male, have been particularly affected by the decline in economic activity, while those within the tertiary sector, more investment by women were generally spared. But this statistic, although seemingly positive for women, also stresses that many sectors are overwhelmingly invested in either one or the other sex.

The report Grésy devoted to professional equality between men and women, has certainly highlighted the "tremendous progress" already observed in the field: women now represent France in 47% of the workforce in 2007, and this 83% are women 25 to 49 years who work. Above all, the mix has risen sharply among the most skilled trades. The social portrait of INSEE reports that young women who leave the education system with a level of training on average than that of boys, have become a large majority among the legal profession (there are now so many lawyers than lawyers), communication, or doctors.Even among the skilled trades to more technical nature, where they remain in low numbers, a trend is emerging: there are now nearly 40% of female engineers or technical managers fresh out of school, as against 9% among older !

A marked polarization in low-skilled occupations

But the picture is not all rosy. And it seems that both ends of the scale of qualifications is the rub. At the top level, the proportion of women remains marginal: 8% of women just sit on boards of directors of the 500 largest French companies, so that a bill is to introduce a quota for women in these bodies. And it's almost the same sound of a bell among the least skilled jobs."The mix has even declined," says Florence Chappert, special assistant to the department skills, work and employment Anact (National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions). "Among low-skilled occupations, trades polarization between men and women is sometimes even more pronounced among beginners in the former, confirming Insee.

Overall, if the girls were always reduced appetite for professional studies, they are still more likely to opt for health and social sectors or specialties Secretariat, when it run. For boys, it is instead the power-electronic outweighs their votes.Result: the construction workers are at 98% of men, those in process industries are at 76%, while, unsurprisingly, 98% of secretaries are women, and that 98% of home helps, 75% administrative workers of category C, 99% of childminders … If the cultural environment is of course a factor in explaining this distribution, Florence Chappert said he is not alone: "If we wanted a stronger proportion of men among the home support, this would require review and atypical partial schedules that are so frequent, often at the expense of women, and raise wages, "said she. Just as the introduction of female workers would necessarily lead to a mitigation of the harshness of the trade."However, there is no question of the mix at any price: the men and women can sometimes lose to find exactly the same positions.

ALSO READ:

The feminization of business performance factor?

"Labor: pregnant women increasingly discriminated

"Inequality men – women seen with acute

DOCUMENT:

The journal "Gender and Labor Conditions of Anact

Henri Proglio and Anne Lauvergeon, who lead respectively EDF and Areva, are called in on Wednesday afternoon at Matignon. The Prime Minister has every intention of putting an end to bitter arguments currently taking place between the two main leaders of the French nuclear industry.

Since late December, the two groups, which have the state as shareholder ultramajoritaire, to blame for the failure of the bidding in Abu Dhabi. And in January, has expanded their quarrel: Areva has just suspended the transportation of spent fuel – from EDF's power – to its reprocessing plant at La Hague. In the entourage of Francois Fillon, it stresses that both companies are forced to work together.The prime minister wants to put an end to these incessant disputes and public.

ALSO READ

Tensions escalate between EDF and Areva

"France loses one mega-contract with United Nuclear

The Appeal of Ban Ki-Moon has been heard. "There is no doubt that we are facing a major humanitarian emergency and an equivalent effort in disaster relief is needed. I urge all members of the international community to assist Haiti in this hour of great need, "stated the secretary general of the United Nations (UN), after the violent earthquake that devastated the capital Port -au-Prince Tuesday. Since then, pledges poured in from around the world.

The United Nations said on Friday he had received 268.5 million dollars in aid pledges from many governments and businesses. To this sum, plus the $ 100 million that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put on the table.At a press conference in Washington yesterday evening, its managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said this aid, which will be released "very soon" by the board of the IMF, would come from an extension of a existing loan to Haiti. The day before, the World Bank had pledged aid for the same amount.

Governments at the rendezvous

Among the twenty donors reported by the UN include Belgium (0.65 million), Sweden (0.85 million), China (1 million), Italy (1.46 million), Finland (1.8 million), Denmark (1.9 million), Switzerland (1.9 million), Germany (2.17 million), Netherlands (2.91 million), Spain ( 4.37 million), EU (4.37 million), Canada (4.8 million), Brazil (5 million), Australia (9.3 million), the United Kingdom (10 million ) and the United States (100 million).

In France, the Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has benefited from the presentation of his vows to the press this morning to ask the creditor countries of the Paris Club to cancel the entire debt of Haiti. The country still has 54 million euros to France, for example. Paris had already canceled unilaterally and unconditionally 4 million euros of debt, December 11 last. Christine Lagarde also appealed to Venezuela and Taiwan, two major creditors of Haiti who do not belong to this group.

Solidarity initiatives of companies

But generosity is not the sole preserve of large institutions and governments. NGOs and associations are at the forefront, both on the field and at the collection of donations. Calls for assistance have increased over the past three days.In addition to individuals, many companies have personally responded to these appeals, as after the tsunami that hit Asia in late 2004. Numerous initiatives have been announced, including France.

The Post, for example, will publish in the coming days, a tone of solidarity with the victims of the earthquake. The price of 1 euro includes a donation of 44 cents to the Red Cross. EADS and its subsidiary Airbus has decided to lend the association Action against hunger a jumbo A 340 to help the Haitians. The aircraft must take off from Lyon on Friday afternoon, with on board 150 cubic meters of material health and telecommunications, as well as pockets of water. Following the call of Industry Minister Christian Estrosi Wednesday, the French pharmaceutical industry donated 56,000 emergency treatment for relief teams visiting Haiti.Finally, the French airline Air Caribbean said this morning that it would introduce flights at special rates for Port-au-Prince, from the airport in the Haitian capital will be reopened to commercial flights.

The challenge of rebuilding

Such generosity is not without challenges. This effort requires international coordination, said Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Start quack, the EU acknowledged on Friday having been informed "by the press" of the international conference for reconstruction and development of Haiti, announced yesterday by France. "I am not aware" of the conference, said the spokesman of the High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, during a press briefing in Brussels.

Yet, as Bernard Kouchner, the appointment is already taken.The conference, which would join the United States, Brazil, Canada and other countries, could be held in March, said the Foreign Minister this morning.

Haiti, a country to its knees

• Population: 9.8 million (UN estimates 2008)

• Gross national income (GNI) per capita: $ 560

• Poverty: 78% of the population lives on less than $ 2 per day and over 50% with less than $ 1 a day

• United Nations Development Program (UNDP): 146th rank among 177 countries worldwide

• Life expectancy: 59 years for men, 63 for women

• Infant mortality rate: 60 per 1,000 births

• Aid for Development: The World Bank has granted 273 million dollars in financial assistance to Haiti since 2005, through the International Development Association (IDA).

(Source: World Bank)

ALSO READ

"Special Report: Earthquake, devastated Haiti

After the crisis management, management of debt. This is the slogan that could take the major industrialized countries, which are out of recession emerge. In fact, according to the OECD, the 30 most advanced countries will see their debt rise to 100% of their wealth produced in 2010, signaling a near-doubling of their debt in twenty years. Japan's flirt with the 200% of its GDP, followed by those of Italy (127.3%) and Greece (111.8%).

The France is not there … Its debt will reach next year "only" 84% of GDP – a level already history. And since 2013 it has exceeded 90%. UMP Senator Jean-Pierre Fourcade, a member of the Finance Committee of the Senate, said Wednesday that France was now living in "perpetual debt"."The debt spiral is fueled by the fact that not only must pay the debt charges but that revenue for the year does not cover expenses," said Senator of Hauts-de-Seine. The debt burden is estimated for 2010 at 42.5 billion euros. His payment could become the first budget item in 2012.

In a report presented on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre Fourcade said that the evolution of the debt burden is explained not only by the stock of debt increases. but also by the rate of inflation: in 2008, the deviation from the prediction which had been established by the Government had created an additional cost of 2.5 billion, while it had resulted in savings of 2.8 billion in 2009.And finally the interest rate: Agency France Trésor has calculated that an increase of 0.25% rate of the European Central Bank in 2010 compared to what is expected (short-term rates to 1.3% and long-term rates to 3.9%) would increase the debt burden of 600 million euros.

Conference on deficits

The quality of the signing of France – which currently enjoys the maximum rating, AAA by the rating agencies – now enables it to fund the best conditions. "But maintaining its advantage is conditional on fiscal consolidation in the medium term," reaffirms the Senate, which considers "necessary to send signals to that effect to our partners and market actors" from 2011.

This was started to the Head of State, in announcing the holding of a conference on public deficits, and the Prime Minister, setting back to 2014 to below 3% deficit "price adjustments very important."

Beginning 2010, France will send to Brussels – which now requires a more ambitious timetable than François Fillon – its multi-year plan of public finance. "It is a moment when we must take action just brutal," said the entourage of the Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde.

In regard to debt management, the report stresses that the funding program introduced in the draft budget law (the France would borrow 112 billion in 2010) "is obsolete even before being voted, given the absence of evidence on the future national debt. "He took the opportunity to recall that it "would be much less costly if it were agreed on markets rather than individuals and if it was issued at once," before the rise in interest rates. Focusing on "financial contributions from the state," the senators can only note that enterprises are "affected by the crisis."

The report stresses that the market situation "does not consider major privatization deals in 2010. The capital increase of the Post Office should make an exception. "There were no resources allocated to debt reduction in 2009, prospects for 2010 unfortunately does not consider a start in this direction next year," the senators concluded.

The bank employees of Societe Generale were on strike Tuesday. Like their colleagues at HSBC France. In Defense or the Champs-Elysees, hundreds of them gathered to demonstrate. These disgruntled bankers do not resent the loss of their bonus. They are employees of the network who try to bend their leadership in wage negotiations. They also protest against new working arrangements introduced gradually in the agencies. If they are not heard, the mobilization of Tuesday could be repeated throughout the winter, prevent unions.

Lean months

The branch negotiations have so far failed. The French Banking Association (AFB, which concerns only part of the sector) proposing an increase of 1.5% of the conventional minimum, when the unions called for a general revaluation."These last months have been very difficult for employees, now that banks are profitable again, they must reward their employees," all argue their union representatives. A discourse that often encounters Department still concentrated on management costs during periods of low growth. For now, only BNP Paribas was able to complete an agreement with its unions. Elsewhere negotiations are ongoing.

They have taken a particularly difficult at Societe Generale, affected, in addition to the financial crisis, by a succession of setbacks: Kerviel affair, the uproar caused by stock options for executives … Wednesday, 8.5% of employees by management , 30% for CGT representative, went on strike. They call about 2% increase against the 0.7% proposed by management, embellished a stake of EUR 600.Frederick Oudéa, the new CEO of Societe Generale, is expected to manage this conflict, rare for a bank to the social body traditionally welded with its direction. Employees of HSBC France were also called the strike on Tuesday. "At least 600 people marched on the Champs-Elysees, notes Gerard Huger, the delegate CFTC. Management does not hear us, we will write to the headquarters in London, and organize new day of mobilizations in France. "Management has identified for its 6% share of strikers in Paris and 12.8% in the provinces.

In LCL, Crédit Agricole group, the unions expect one-day strike in January. Until then, they organize events December 2 at the last negotiating session with management. Side BPCE (Caisses d'Epargne and Banques Populaires), negotiations begin.