Only one company, Publicis, shows a perfect parity between men and women. "The Lady-boom run out of steam already?" Asks Caroline to Marnierre, president of Capitalcom by identifying the number of women who will be entering this year in these boards. A total of 17 women will be appointed at general meetings of shareholders, which is twice less than in 2011 (33 women), according Capitalcom. "The 2012 vintage is characterized by a marked weakening of the dynamics observed in 2011," the study said. "Increasing diversity is mainly due to the increased number of women holding more money."

Slow progress

The law provides that Cope-Zimmerman boards must include 20% women by 2014 and 40% in 2017. She timidly begins to bear fruit: the board will count 23.4% women on average this year, against 20.8% in 2011 and only 8.5% in 2007! And 27 major groups on the French side have already fulfilled their obligations for 2014.

In a quarter of them, the rate of mixing is even greater than 30% (BNP Paribas, Bouygues, Credit Agricole, Publicis, PPR, Safran, Societe Generale, Total, Vallourec and Vivendi). Although still scarce, women are increasingly involved in the boards, the study notes, which is "evolution in the number of women who chair a committee (33%)."

Who are they? They averaged 55 years and are mostly French (63.64%). The CAC 40 also account for 7.3% and 6.4% American administrators of the British.

Despite little progress this year, the mix of boards should gain ground in the future. Especially since the European Commission intends to introduce quotas for women on boards of directors and supervisory boards.

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At the office, beware of personal files and other sensitive information. Contrary to popular belief, an employer is absolutely the right to see the entire hard disk of the workstation of its employees, without their permission. The collected files (images or pornographic films mostly, but also documentary evidence of contacts with competitors or disparaging the company from third parties) can then be used as evidence for a dismissal. One exception: personal files.

But how does one determine that a file is personal? The Court of Cassation rendered several decisions to this effect in recent years. The latest, released Thursday, says that a file stored in a folder named "My Documents" can not, despite its name, be considered personal, and can be accessed freely by the superior of the employee concerned.  

Appoint his case with his initials or his name is not enough either. The Supreme Court issued two decisions in 2009 explaining that the names were not enough to identify these records as private.

Personal files can be viewed in the presence of the employee

To ensure that certain files can not be accessed without his knowledge by his employer, the employee must create a folder named "Personal" quick pay day loan. For added security, better also add "Staff" in the name of files in the folder.

But beware! If the employer does not have the right to inspect documents "Personal" without asking permission of his employee, this does not mean it does not look right. The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that the opening of these files should be done in the presence of the employee, or following a phone call to warn him, "unless a particular event or risk justifying the deprivation of life private. "

Better to be cautious by not leaving anything to rest on his workstation outside its business documents. If a sensitive document must pass through your desktop, upload it to a support belonging to you, as an external hard drive, USB drive or smartphone … staff.

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Ferrero will have to pay for providing the Nutella to American children. The manufacturer of the famous chocolate spread, which is the subject of a class action lawsuit brought by a California mother who did not know that Nutella was so bold, will indeed come out the checkbook to settle the case. He agrees to pay up to $ 4 for every jar of Nutella purchased in California between August 2009 and January 23, 2012, or the rest of the United States between January 2008 and February 3, 2012. The agreement does not include the rest of the world.

Consumers should send their application before July 5 (a maximum of five pots), four days before the courts definitively validate the regulations. The group will pay a total $ 3.05 million.

"Shocked"

Athena Hohenberg, mother of a child in San Diego, had made the dough, nutty taste of the main element of his son. She said she was "shocked to discover that Nutella was neither healthy nor nutritious food, but it was barely better than candy and it contained dangerous levels of saturated fat." In its complaint, filed in February 2011, it considers that promotes Ferrero Nutella as "an example of a balanced breakfast and delicious" and paste "healthier than it actually is creditreport."

Following this case, Ferrero USA is committed to "change some statements on the marketing Nutella" and better detail its nutrients, according to the text published on the site nutellaclassactionsettlement.com. "We think it is in the interest of the company to resolve these issues," said a spokeswoman for Ferrero.

The complaint of Athena Hohenberg, however drawn criticism in the local press. The LA Weekly and advises to "procedural mothers of California" to behave responsibly. "Try to make yourself snacks for your children. A jar of Nutella, occasionally, do not hurt, if you feed your children properly. And it's so good spread on a pancake, "concludes the paper.

(With Agents)

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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 poor credit personal loans.

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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The possibility of a takeover by the state oil company YPF of Argentina, 57.4% owned subsidiary of Spain's Repsol, has provoked a lively access of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Buenos Aires. "Any aggression against Repsol violating the principle of legal certainty will be taken by Spain as an aggression," said Friday the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, just after having summoned the Ambassador of Argentina.

Detonator of the sudden onset of fever, a meeting Thursday between the Argentine president, Cristina Kirchner, and provincial governors, who must consider the possibility of a joint venture with YPF, that is to say partially nationalized. The Argentine government is pressuring oil companies to increase their domestic production, the country's oil bill last year soared 110% to $ 9.4 billion easy payday loans. Accused of not investing enough, Repsol YPF has been withdrawn in recent weeks 16 oil concessions by half a dozen provinces. Repsol YPF is the leading fuel in Argentina, where it controls 52% of refining capacity and 1,600 service stations. It also represents two thirds of the production of Repsol.

"International plague"

In Madrid, some fear that Buenos Aires does not benefit the situation in which economic weakness is now Spain to advance his pawns. Hence perhaps the force of the reaction. The Spanish Secretary of State to the European Union, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, said that "Argentina (would) become an international pariah," warning "that within the international community, break the rules has a price. " The European Commission called on Argentina to "protect foreign investments on its soil."

Times are changing. Apple also. Tim Cook, CEO of the group, visited China this week. This is the chief executive of the Apple brand to do so. Territory that Steve Jobs has ignored many years before the first open an Apple Store in 2008, but he never went. Thursday, the world's factory and especially Apple, China today is a tremendous reservoir of consumers. The Chinese world – mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – is already the second largest brand, behind the United States.

No question of the destination then sulk. "China is very important to us and we look forward to further invest and grow here," and said Carolyn Wu, spokesman for the brand in one of the few interventions official Apple communication very stingy on the Overall the visit Tim Cook. Received with honors by the Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, tipped to succeed next year in the current prime minister, Wen Jiabao, also met with California leading operators China Unicom and China Telecom. First local operator, China Mobile still in talks with Apple to launch iPhone on its network. Moreover, an intellectual property litigation on the brand "IPAD" claimed by a Hong Kong company, slows sales of iPad in China, where the latest version has not yet been launched.

Wave of suicides at Foxconn

But the trip leader California also sought to address criticisms been rising, from around the world, on the manufacturing conditions of its high-tech products no fax payday advance. In 2010, a wave of suicides had given to Foxconn, Apple's main supplier that produces iPhone and iPad in China, a fatal reputation, yet tarnished by an explosion in a factory and workers of poisoning by chemicals.

An image so disastrous that earlier this year, the American actor Mike Daisey had no trouble getting across the Atlantic believe that Foxconn, children 12 years working in factories guarded by armed guards, before admitting that this information had been made.

No wonder Tim Cook will be split from a visit to the new Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, south-west of Beijing, including the official photos showed smiling employees. The Apple brand is committed to improving working conditions in its factory in China, signing an agreement with Foxconn on the hiring of tens of thousands of employees, improving safety and solving the problem for hours additional illegal.

Earlier, China had the opportunity to lecture foreign companies invited by Li Keqiang to "take more care of their workers," according to comments reported by the official daily English-language China Daily.

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For the third and penultimate trading session on the agreements "competitive employment", management has decided to accelerate. A draft framework for these agreements was submitted Tuesday to the unions to allow companies to adapt working time and wages according to the activity and avoid having recourse to short. On this subject on the table by Nicolas Sarkozy in January, the MEDEF is pressed to agree – while the unions themselves, the play shows until the presidential election.

Laurence Parisot, the boss of bosses, gave instructions to his troops to quickly reach a compromise: "Beyond the election, so does employment and business life."

The project submitted by the employers provides that such agreements are negotiated within the company, with unions that are present payday lenders. "The branch is present in an advisory capacity and can not be blocking," says Patrick Bernasconi, leader of the employers' delegation. Moreover, the agreement should be concluded for a fixed period, not exceeding two years. The refusal of an employee to accept a dismissal would sui generis authorizing him to receive severance and termination pay.

The unions responded in a disorganized, the polite refusal of the CFDT not judging "not balanced" the denunciation of a "job blackmail" by the CGT.

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When the VAT hike in early 2011 and the arrival of Free Mobile early 2012, mobile operators have seen their customers from leaving in droves to a competitor in search of a better price. "The price does not explain everything. We underestimated the frustration of customers, "recently confessed an operator. Because, rightly or wrongly, telecom focus the discontent of consumers. The sector holds in the palm of 2011 claims (24%), before the consumer (22%) and computers (12%), as the documentary credit.

Within the family telecoms, mobile internet is back in front in claims: in 2011, 53% of complaints received by the French Association of telecom users (AFUTT) concerned the mobile Internet access 38% and 9% fixed phone. Mobile-related complaints rose 11%, while those related to Internet were down 28%.

In Mobile, the fourth door on the invoice disputes: consumers are left with overruns, mostly due to premium rate calls as the SMS + or spam for users scammed. Also involved, according to AFUTT, misuse of mobile Internet abroad, and the complexity of fee schedules.

Furthermore the bill, disputes also include the termination of the contract. Customers who have purchased a package included with phone and find themselves thus committed 12 or 24 months, resent not being able to cancel without charge, including for reasons considered legitimate: death, moving abroad, loss of employment, etc fast cash without a hassle..

After contacting customer service, then the service consumer of their operator, the aggrieved clients can always resort to the mediator. "When the Ombudsman receives, operators generally find a solution because their desire is to reduce complaints," said Francois Cuinat, mediator of electronic communications. Complaints are more likely among clients of virtual operators (MVNO) than the "big" operators, indicates the AFUTT. "Orange, SFR and Bouygues have an index of conflict less than 1, the Bouygues Telecom is much improved this year. That of MVNOs still significantly higher, "said the AFUTT.

In this context, what impact will the arrival of Free Mobile? "We have nothing to report about Free Mobile. But for the mobile market as a whole, we are very interrogative on the effect of a competition that would be too exclusively based on prices, said Jacques Pomonti, president of the AFUTT. We hope that the price competition will not affect the quality of service or investment in infrastructure, "he concluded.

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On the Old Continent, German manufacturers have their dominant position in Germany, the strongest of the major European markets, making them less vulnerable to the slump in Southern Europe. More importantly, they are very well established internationally in areas experiencing strong growth. The Volkswagen Group sold 2.26 million cars in China last year (+18%). The volumes of BMW and Mercedes jumped 37% and 31% in this market. VW owns 20% of the Brazilian market. United States, he occupies a position lower than in the rest of the world, but continues to gain market share. BMW and Mercedes also post strong gains overseas.

The reputation of "Made in Germany"

The renowned German manufacturers is such that Opel now speaks the language of Goethe in its advertising. Renault, who wants to prove the reliability of its cars, has also made him also to speak in German last year, in a spot parodying the brand in flash. This reputation allows German brands to sell their products more expensive than their French rivals. "This is the result of an approach based on decades of product quality and innovation, says Philippe Houchois, an analyst at UBS. In the early 1990s, there was little difference in perception between a Volkswagen Passat and Peugeot 504. It is no longer the case today, with the successors of these models. "The VW group continues to accelerate: it plans to invest 62 billion euros by 2016 in its cars and factories, over 14 billion in China. It is also thanks to the obstinacy Audi, brand considered robust in the 1980s, has turned into a symbol of social success. Result, three manufacturers, BMW, Mercedes and Audi (VW Group), dominate the high-end sales, a lucrative and growing faster than the world market. Profits are particularly high in China, where wealthy customers are willing to pay a high price. This market, Audi's largest market, is also one on which flow over the Mercedes E-Class and 7 Series.

Economies of scale

To take advantage of its size and achieve significant economies of scale, Volkswagen, like the Renault-Nissan, went further in sharing components of its brands. The group strenna this year its new scalable platform, MQB, which shares many components between cars belonging to segments of different sizes. It plans to manufacture about forty models on a common basis, the Polo to the Passat, through the next Golf and the new Audi A3. More than 3 million vehicles will be assembled each year on this platform, enabling the group to reduce procurement costs and investments by 20%.

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