At a time when many companies are trying to renegotiate the pricing terms of their gas supplies, this is a decision that will make noise: Tuesday, the supervising judge of the Commercial Court of Valenciennes has decided to terminate the contract of long-term supply that united the power plant Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre (North) to Italian energy giant ENI.

March 12, the production plant, now owned by the Austrian Verbund electrician, had been placed under safeguard procedure. Reason: it loses about one million euros per week. Three days later, on March 15, the receiver can catch the commercial court by an application to terminate. There is indeed a difference of nearly 40% between the market price of gas and those supply contracts in the long term, indexed to oil prices – which soared for several weeks. What makes the situation untenable for the Pont-sur-Sambre.

A canceled contract

In fact, the judge may decide the termination under two conditions: firstly, this option is necessary to safeguard the debtor on the other hand, the termination shall not affect significantly the activity of the contractor, in ENI case. The Commercial Court of Valenciennes finally concluded that these two conditions were met, indicating that the supply of Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre – to the tune of 150 million euros per year – accounted for only 0 guaranteed fast personal loans.13% of net Business ENI.

After this decision, the Transalpine oil has several ways to try to counteract it: application for annulment with the commercial court, appeal to the court of appeal, cassation … All these procedures require weeks or months. Meanwhile, the Commercial Court's decision is not suspended and the contract between Poweo Pont-sur-Sambre and ENI is actually terminated.

Whatever the intensity of this battle, it will give ideas to large consumers of gas. They now know that they are likely to be heard before the commercial court if their incumbent supplier does not agree a discount to the extent of the plunge in gas prices. Since the development of shale gas in the U.S. (now exporting) in particular, the economy of this energy has completely returned with an offer suddenly extremely abundant.

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The ras-le-bol rises among users of TGV Nantes / Angers / Le Mans / Paris. And also the response … The members of the collective defense of Subscribers Line Atlantic (Ladala) took a new step in their protest movement against the repeated delays of the station, on the line leading to the capital. The trick to reach the railway portfolio. To do this, they have not hesitated to launch a "ghost TGV" massively by booking every seat of a TGV line in question. Of seats they will not play of course. Each member buying between 5 and 10 seats, 800 seats have already been blocked, all classes, as pointed out this morning on RTL Pascal Mignot, the representative of the collective.

Reaction except the SNCF, the train should travel empty, which would result in a serious shortfall. Because the protesters are concerned subscribers, a status that gives them access to places for a mere $ 1.50. And the date chosen is not trivial since the 250 members of Ladala have set Wednesday, May 16, the eve of Ascension Day and the weekend so great starts.

Greece of tickets

This is not the first time Ladala tries to voice his displeasure. Mid-March, the group had launched a strike of tickets and passes, along with daily rallies in trains and on platforms. Faced with the continuing delays and lack of financial consequences for the SNCF, the association thus increases the pressure, also taking on its website a statement of the duration of the movement, and delays on this line.

Faced with the accumulation of failures since the schedule changes in December 2011, their demands are clear: rate freeze on packages (over 500 euros per month), on-time to avoid disputes with employers, indemnity 2.5 euros per 10 minutes late, and got 150 euro for subscribers to compensate for failures of January, February and March. In total, officials estimate that the collective duration of 14 hours cumulative delays over this period.

Side of the Authority of the quality of service in transport (AQST, dependent on the Ministry of Ecology), although the figures show a surge in failures since November, with up to 30% of trains delayed . But since February, the trend seems to be improving. Apparently not enough to calm those subscribers, still wearing a badge "subscribers on strike," which also launched an online petition and sent a letter to presidential candidates. Denouncing a 18% increase in travel time on an ordinary trip to Le Mans / Paris, they have finally created a Twitter account inviting followers to list all the failures of the Atlantic line. An initiative that has been emulated the Creusot subscribers and Amiens have since joined the movement.

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Guarantee legal protection applies when the insured is pursuing a third justice, but also when it is itself continued. It allows the insured to avoid having to pay the legal costs in case of procedure following a dispute automobile. Legal costs are often higher, supported by their guarantee legal protection may therefore be useful.  

Guarantee legal protection can exist in two forms:

Directly-enrolled in the auto insurance policy it refers only to disputes cars (against another driver, a mechanic, …)

-Outside the proposed auto insurance policy, it can be extended to fields larger than the only automotive world.

The warranty coverage legal protection

The warranty coverage can prevent legal protection proceedings in justices (through a mediation phase) and, where appropriate, to ensure their support. Thus, the guarantee allows the insured to receive legal advice provided by professionals.

In case of trial, she supports legal costs: legal fees, court fees and expert fees. In most cases, the guarantee legal protection is still subject to a ceiling as well as a threshold of support. These elements must be clearly presented in the contract signed by the insured.

Namely: the guarantee legal protection also covers dependents of the subscriber.

If the insured has to defend himself or wants to act against someone in court, he must contact his insurance company to obtain approval of management. Then, the insured is free to choose the lawyer who will defend its interests at trial. The fees of the latter are set in agreement with the insured.

Most insurers also offer their policyholders a formal relationship with their network of lawyers. For individuals who are not lawyers, it is often simpler!

Note: the guarantee legal protection does not indemnify the third party. If the insured is ordered to pay compensation, the latter are not supported.

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"Find the auto insurance policy that suits your needs with the help of experts CPLUSSUR.COM

Scene of guerrilla warfare to CGT. Tuesday morning, Bernard Thibault has changed the agenda of the Confederal Executive Commission – Government organization – to tackle the delicate subject of his estate, scheduled in 2013. According to several sources, the current Secretary General is violently attacked Éric Aubin, head of the Federation of Construction and Mr. Retreats plant, now in the best position to replace him internally. He was particularly criticized for having "declared available for the organization" – see, to replace him – which could "jeopardize the CGT." The tradition is indeed whether the outgoing Secretary General proposes that the name of his successor and not potential candidates who declare themselves. The officers, totally subject to Bernard Thibault, drove home the point by comparing the current situation to that of 1946 when FO had decided to split … Atmosphere.

Launching in December a major consultation to discuss his succession, the head of the CGT has pulled himself shot in the foot. He was convinced that the name of Agnes Naton (or Nadine Prigent, disqualified from because of its rigidity) would come out of the hat. But this is Eric Aubin, supported by large federations Building, Energy, of Railway, Postal, Chemical and others who came out. "Bernard Thibault was completely outdated and no longer knows how to get out today, a judge as part of the organization. Then he attempts a coup but nobody is willing to let him. "  

Thoroughly review the organization of the confederation

It must be said that Eric Aubin warned that if named secretary general he would review thoroughly the organization and operation, very self-centered around the general secretary of the confederation. "It scares some people who will lose their influence," an expert analysis. Including a whole bunch of "retirees" who gravitate to Bernard Thibault and continue, in fact, to hold the reins of the organization.

Nobody really understands what Bernard Thibault to blame Eric Aubin. "He keeps saying he does not reproach him and everything is fine between them but he can not help him put banana peels in its path," Judge a close. The secretary general of the CGT argued for including Eric Aubin is not highlighted at the general meeting on pensions on January 31, at the Zenith in Paris, which marked the launch of the anti-reelection Nicolas Sarkozy. Mere fact truly "objective": the current boss of the CGT – who would have liked to re-enlist a fifth term before members of the Executive Board make him understand that they were not at all favorable – would leave a trace in the history of Central imposing a woman to head the organization. "It's now or never," continues he repeated: Naton Agnes, one of his close confederate in the office, not the name. "Unfortunately Eric Aubin is a man and it does not stick with the designs of Bernard Thibault," quips one part of the plant.

In the end, the Executive Board on Tuesday urged Bernard Thibault to continue its consultation, without changing the terms continually. The head of the CGT must deliver a name to the next meeting on April 17 before embarking on a tour of France to test in the territories. "He will not propose that Eric Aubin, provides one of its members. He will try one last time to push Agnes Naton but we will not be impressed. "

The final decision will be taken on May 30, at a special meeting of the national confederal committee, the parliament of the organization. In the meantime, the Executive Board will have retained a name

.

February was without much panache to the French national dailies. Sales of five of the eight titles of general information and sports have registered a decrease, France paid for a mailing of 1.6 million copies in total daily average, according to OJD, the supervisory body the press.

Among GPs, Le Figaro has kept its position as the leading national daily, to 330,725 copies, a slight increase (0.66%), followed by Le Monde, down 5.22%, to 279,455 copies. Sports daily Amaury Group, The Équipechute 8.8%, to 253,766 copies. Desechos sales, now only business daily since the demise of the print edition of The Tribune, have scraped 0.6%. After a strong month in January (5.7%), those of Libérationont declined 2%.  

Louis Dreyfus, chief executive of Le Monde, explains its poor performance against the election campaign, he said "less than the previous carrier," and the establishment of a retirement plan at Printing World which resulted work stoppages, "which made us miss sales in Paris and the provinces." But, conversely, the new format of the weekend's evening paper, enriched with three supplements and renovated a magazine, launched in September, is bearing fruit, with a circulation up 5% year on year , "despite an increase in the sale price low interest rate personal loans."

A new journal for tablets

Maintaining a price of 0.90 euro for weeks in Francea Today, however, allowed the national edition of Le Parisien, also in the Amaury group, earn 6.3%, to 167,890 copies, after a 14.6% jump in January, mainly due to a favorable base effect, the weather in January 2011 having lost many sales quotidien.Aujourd 'hui in Franceest focused by the judgment of the paper edition of France Soirdepuis mid-December 2011. 

For its part, says his Team in February by a slippage rate of migration to digital readership faster than in the general press, by an unfavorable base effect linked to the victory of the France team handball to World Championships in February 2011, and the cancellation of the match France-Ireland Six Nations on 12 February.

"The sports news has been sparse," said Francois Morinière, Group Chief Executive Team, which gives priority to develop its digital sales. His group will launch in May, just before the tournament at Roland Garros, a new 100% digital newspaper for reading on tablet.

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The 45 employees of Air France in Corsica term employees who were protesting for months to be appointed permanently to a permanent contract (CDI) will not be reintegrated into the company which already employs 500 people in Corsica.

The Court of Appeal of Bastia has indeed delivered Wednesday for compensation ranging from 9,000 to 14,000 euros for each of the plaintiffs, holding that the CSD were "illegal". But she did not follow the decisions of industrial tribunals which included, besides their tenure, payment of 5 million euros in fines. "In December, we proposed to pay more than five times the amount fixed by the court today. The 45 employees had declined the transaction and offers of reassignment to have us come on the Continent, "says an executive of Air France.  

The CGT, one union representative at Air France in Corsica, caused them to go "to the end." Wednesday after the judgment, Albert Malausse, CGT Air France, stayed on the line: "If we do a cold summer, we will. It is necessary that those responsible for this judgment are paying the consequences. We are ready to fight a flawless, probably illegal, and radical as this decision is absurd. "

A posture that will not facilitate the task of Air France, which seeks to reduce the 25 million loss recorded by the company on the Island of Beauty. The Corsican authorities concluded there ten days an increase of 11 million grant awarded to Air France (41.5 million) as part of the public service delegation. It now remains to make peace.

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The gas leak that caused the evacuation of 238 people on the platform of Total Elgin in the North Sea, 240 km east of Aberdeen in Scotland, still has a risk of explosion.

The BBC said that the flare used to burn non-exploitable gas was left burning on the Elgin platform, despite the risks involved with all the gas that is brought to the surface. A surprising situation, considering that the oil company has yet taken every precaution to avoid an explosion, especially by cutting the current on the farm. A spokesman for Total, quoted by the BBC, ensures that risks are limited, since the flare is 90 m high and the winds are favorable, causing the gas cloud in the right direction.

Preston Martin, an expert in marine pollution at the University of Liverpool, in turn ensures the BBC that the explosion risks persist and that "nobody will be able to approach the platform as the flare is lit . As it burns, they will have to find a plan B, "he said.

The director of health, safety and environment at Total, David Hainsworth, also acknowledged that a risk of explosion existed.

The flare is not supplied with gas, and had decreased in size Tuesday night. It can not be turned off remotely, but should eventually go out of itself, according to the spokesman for Total television quoted British public.

The evacuation of the platform Elgin has avoided a repeat of the worst disaster in the history of oil, the explosion of the Piper Alpha platform, which had 167 deaths in July 1988 after a gas leak on a similar offshore operations.

According to the British magazine New Scientist, quoting a source at Total, the leak did not come from the main geological reservoir in which natural gas is extracted, but an intermediate layer, closest to the surface. The gas goes back to the surface by the casing surrounding the drill pipe.

This would explain why all the efforts of staff the platform to plug the leaks found Sunday were unsuccessful. Only positive, the amount of gas in the intermediate tank should be smaller, and lower pressure than the main tank, which in turn, was secured.

Total would not confirm or deny this information, providing only that "studies are underway to analyze the causes of the leak." Industry experts estimate it will take several days to positively identify its origin, which is made very complicated by the fact that nobody left on the site.

]]> http://sundialsnakes.com/total-explosion-risks-persist-in-the-north-sea/feed/ 0 http://sundialsnakes.com/vivendi-took-over-the-reins-of-sfr/ http://sundialsnakes.com/vivendi-took-over-the-reins-of-sfr/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:12:12 +0000 admin http://sundialsnakes.com/vivendi-took-over-the-reins-of-sfr/  

Vivendi confirmed Monday, after market, the departure of Frank Esser, CEO of SFR, revealed by Le Figaro. This departure will be effective from the end of the week. Jean-Bernard Levy, CEO of Vivendi, this function takes live indefinitely. No other redesign teams SFR is expected. The announcement of a smooth transition reassured the 10,000 employees of SFR, where the announcement of the departure of Frank Esser, who presided over the destiny of the group for twelve years, has been a bombshell.

Vivendi wants to take the time to find a new boss for its subsidiary SFR, a pivotal moment in its history. Greatly shaken by the arrival of Free in the mobile sector, Vodafone is obliged to rethink its economic model. And why the research group "rare bird". Several names of potential candidates circulate: Bertrand Meheut (current CEO of Canal +), Thierry Breton (CEO of Atos), Didier Quillot (former CEO of Lagardère Active), Michel Combes (CEO Vodafone Europe), Gilles Pelisson (ex- Accor CEO) and Jacques Veyrat (Direct Energy) … But none is needed.

One thing is certain, the chosen one will have a profile of "cost killer" while SFR expects a decrease of 12% to 15% of its EBITDA margin in 2012 and Jean-Bernard Levy said at the Vivendi earnings presentation in early March, the need to "tighten the bolts." The future head of SFR should be able to reassure financial markets, while the declining profitability of SFR weighs on Vivendi. The stock has lost 17% since the beginning of the year.

The departure of Frank Esser was decided Friday afternoon during a supervisory board of Vivendi, and presented Monday at 5:00 p.m. in the Board of SFR. It does not seem to be a coup as often in the wars of succession, but a decision by mutual agreement. Friday, same day that his fate was sealed, Frank Esser was attending a lunch with the entire executive of Vivendi, in which Jean-Rene Fourtou, director of Vivendi, and Jean-Bernard Levy have sent him some very complimentary. Frank Esser, Mannesmann's German came (acquired by Vodafone), is indeed recognized and appreciated by both teams by his peers.

Free to adjust the face

But, before the onslaught of Free Mobile, it was essential to give new impetus to SFR, which lost 200,000 customers between 10 January and late February. "Jean-Bernard Levy knows SFR. We are confident in its ability to revitalize all appear the beginnings of a stabilization of the situation. After the initial excitement, Free began to experience a certain loss, "said a spokesman for Vivendi.

The task does not look easy. We'll have to cut some expenses without burdening the future. "In the hundreds of service developments underway at SFR, it will have to choose between those that are essential for the future and those who can be stopped, says an inside source. Always painful choices that force teams to redeploy réinternalisant projects that were previously outsourced to external service providers. "The suppliers and providers of SFR should be the first affected by this clampdown.

Add paid features

It will also have to rethink the positioning packaging opportunities. Free Mobile face, all operators have launched entry-level offerings, sold only on the Web at very aggressive prices. But where Bouygues Telecom, the first chopping last July, has managed to impose "B & You", followed by Orange with "Sosh" SFR has not really enticing with its brand "Red" launched in late September.

But offers low-cost, direct response to Free, are not the only priorities. The operators were able over time to all-inclusive packages (visual voicemail, MMS, mobile Internet …). We must now all unravel for a basic package comparable to that of Free, which you must add a number of services at extra cost. A vast perspective.

The French beheaded their king. Do they want to behead the richest of them? One might think that it is in the order of things and words. "King" in Latin rex, and "rich" that just in Gallic rix (as Vercingetorix), share the same etymological family. Both mean "powerful". To cut down?

Francois Hollande and plans to impose 75% income in excess of one million euros, at the risk of appearing confiscatory and unconstitutional. Nicolas Sarkozy wants to tax the tax exiles, threatening implication of deprivation of nationality, and is also limited vis-à-vis the Constitution. The both are attacking a minority that is the envy. Paradoxically, the rich more concerned about public opinion that the poor in the Hexagon. Poor little rich girl, sang Claude François.

Who do we speak? In the U.S., the debate on the "1%" has become a dominant theme of the 2012 presidential campaign. It was launched by the movement Occupy Wall Street ("Wall Street deal"), with the slogan "We are the 99%" ("we are the 99%"). It is stigmatizing growing inequality. Today, 1% of the population accounts for 17% of national income, according to statistics from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), IRS. This proportion more than doubled since the early 1980s throughout the country. It even reaches 44% in the city of New York, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute, an independent body to observe the living conditions of the city.

To be part of the "top 1%" across the Atlantic, he had declared to the tax authorities .927 343 dollars of income in 2009 (before various exemptions, ie "tax loopholes"), about 265, 000 euros. In France, the club's ticket is much more modest. According to INSEE, it was enough for a single person to have a "stated income" of 88 200 euros in 2008 (latest figures available) to be among the 602 most successful French .500 (1% of the 60.250 million population metropolitan France which reports income). Paradoxically, the threshold is proportionately much lower for a couple (132 euros exactly .300), as INSEE reason in what he calls "consumption units". Example, a two-person household accounts for only 1.5 units of consumption: statisticians feel they have less to spend, if only because they share the same roof

. The rich must prove they are effective and useful

The "rich French", the "very high income" in the language of INSEE (at least 7 .350 euros per month for a single), are three times less than Americans. The main reason is that in France the club "of 1%" focuses 7% of national income annually, instead of 17% across the Atlantic, where the overall wealth of the country is also higher (by about a quarter capita) low fee payday advance. Another major difference from both sides of the Atlantic, nine-tenths of the French who are part of the "top 1%", ie 540, 000, with annual sales revenue of less than 239, 000 euros, according to INSEE. This does not allow them to figure in the American Club!

More and more observers believe the criterion of 1% insufficiently selective and that the group is too heterogeneous. It would be more appropriate to focus on the cream of the crop, "one thousandth" of the highest incomes, we believe more in the United States. We are 99.9%, "headlined last fall Paul Krugman, columnist featured in The New York Times, also Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008.

In doing so, it intends to develop two arguments. First of all this "super-elite" – whose annual revenues are on average 5.3 to 7.5 million – has seen its resources after tax increase by 400% since 1979 (increase in real terms, net of inflation and after taxes). But for the average American, who is in the exact middle of the income distribution, purchasing power has increased by just 21%.

Paul Krugman denounces especially the claim of "super-elite" to justify its gains by descréations job. "Very few of them are innovative type of Steve Jobs," he said. He noted that 18% are from finance, 12% are lawyers or real estate industry, "professions where there is no evidence of a clear link between income and contribution to the economy." The rich must prove they are effective and useful. Today more than ever when growth just to leave.

The debate is as old as time. "What the rich have they more than others?", Asked in the 1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby. "Money," replied his friend Ernest Hemingway. As if the wealthy had neither merit nor talent. The opposite attitude is that of the famous parable of the talents: "The master gave five talents to one of his servants, who knew them for profit and is rewarded, while those who did not receive that one hastens to bury in the earth … "This is the origin of the word" talent ". He pointed coins, it became "the gift that is made fruitful." The ability to create jobs for example.

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After S & P, this could be the turn of Moody's rating of degrading of France. The rating agency had announced last month that it had extended its review of the stable outlook of the Hexagon last night finally decided to lower its outlook to negative while maintaining the Aaa rating, the highest possible. In other words, the U.S. opens the way for a possible deterioration of the country in the coming months. The French Minister of Economy Baroin said "take note" of the decision of the agency.

And France is not the only country: Great Britain and Austria have suffered the same fate. The British Finance Minister George Osborne said that "this is proof that in the present world situation, Britain can not help but care for his debt."

Note of Spain lowered by two notches

Moody's explains that "a number of particular pressures on credit balances exacerbate the sensitivity of these rulers." Moody's also said she hopes to "reflect the sensitivity (the countries concerned) to macroeconomic and financial risks from the growing crisis in the euro area."

Worse, the agency downgraded notes of Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta by one notch and two notches that of Spain payday loan. And perspectives of these six countries remain negative "given the continued uncertainty regarding the financing conditions in the next few quarters and its corresponding impact on the quality of the signature," said Moody's.

Six European countries are certain to keep their AAA

But she said that the magnitude of downgrades is limited because "the authorities' commitment to preserve the European monetary union and to implement all reforms necessary to restore market confidence."

It also confirmed the preliminary rating of AAA European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) and AAA ratings assigned to Denmark, Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden. 

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