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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Fuel prices soar notably due to higher oil prices. But is that they will decline as the black gold flow back on world markets? Yes, according to an academic study published last weekend by economists Erwan Gautier (University of Nantes) and Ronan Le Saut (Ecole Polytechnique). Their work is based on data collected daily by the Ministry of Economy between 2007 and 2009 with 10,000 service stations.

Contrary to the fears of the authorities and consumers, "the downward variations are as numerous as the variations on the rise, and they are of the same magnitude," the researchers said. They found instead that managers affect only three-quarters of price changes in international prices of a liter of diesel and two thirds for gasoline. "This gap is consistent with the importance of raw material-the-refined oil in the price of a liter at the pump (between 75% and 85% of total costs)," said Erwan Gautier.

Clearly, if the pump price varies to a lesser extent than international prices, it is because other costs that come into account in calculating the price, they do not move. These findings partly confirm the results of a study by the Ministry of Economy dated June 2011. According to the latter, which examined the evolution of prices for a few weeks, the drop in world prices was reflected better on diesel than on gasoline.

The two economists, however, lead to more accurate results. The petrol stations affect price movements in Rotterdam, where the refined oil is traded in the 5 to 10 days on average. The French Union of Petroleum Industry (UFIP) explains this delay by the time of transport for the supply of pumps and the need to sell existing stocks purchased before the price changes. Prices are revised, preferably on Tuesdays and Fridays, every 5 days on average for diesel, every 6.5 days for gasoline.

Supermarkets change prices more often

All market players are not as quick to change the prices, they detect. Supermarkets, for example, change more frequently and more significantly than other gas stations, belonging mostly to oil companies. This can be explained by the cost analysis Erwan Gautier: "Supermarkets share some expenses related to the operation of the pumps with their store." On the other hand, their margin is extremely low on fuel: it s' is for them a loss leader to attract customers and they are undercutting prices.

In reading the study, the existing competition in the market seems to push the players to pass on price movements as honestly as possible. The proximity of a gas station and a supermarket equipped with pumps, for example, the first incentive to adjust its prices more nimbly. On the other hand, the highway stations, away from any competition, the less impact of international price movements. And, with the exception of the Paris region, rates move slightly more often in urban than in rural. The stations offer many services and high quality fuels also adjust the lowest price movements.

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As announced by the boss of Total, Christophe de Margerie, gasoline now costs more than two euros. According to the website carbeo.com, the unleaded 95 cost 2.02 euros in the service station Saint-Antoine in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. This is the first time this symbolic threshold is crossed.  

At the national level, prices of unleaded gasoline reached new heights last week, to 1.6211 euro on average for a liter of unleaded 95 and 1.6610 for that of 98 unleaded, according to data published Monday by the Ministry of Sustainable Development.

Since late 2011, gasoline prices beat record after record in France, powered by a dual effect of geopolitical tensions (Iran, Nigeria …) that keep crude oil prices at very high levels, and weakening of the euro against the dollar, which boosts the cost of black gold once its converted value in the single currency.

A political issue

Political leaders have seized the questiion. President Nicolas Sarkozy, candidate to succeed himself, had described the end of February "joke" blocking oil prices, a proposal by the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, pointing out that prices are determined by a "global marketplace to outside. "

Sales of unleaded 95 represent just under 15% of French consumption of motor fuels and unleaded 98 around 5%.

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Air transportation emits about 3% carbon dioxide (CO2) released by humans into the atmosphere. But according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its emissions have almost doubled (+98%) between 1990 and 2006 and are expected to increase by 63% by 2020. This is due to the strong growth that the EU wished to include airlines in the industries subject to carbon allowances.

Decided in 2008, this "carbon tax air" has been applicable since 1 January to major airlines transiting through EU airports. According to official documents of the end of 2011, 4291 airlines must be submitted to CO2 quotas, including 28 Chinese companies. Brussels has set an emissions cap for each company, who must buy the equivalent of 15% of its emissions, as carbon credits.

This air tax should bring in 2012 256 million euros to the EU, the Commission said. A pittance compared to $ 3.8 billion represented the German Government, by controlling only Airbus Hong Kong Airlines, threatened. Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for the fight against climate change, repeated his refusal to yield to threats and to revisit the legislation.

The profession particularly hostile

From the earliest discussions on the implementation of these CO2 quotas on airlines, the profession has expressed very hostile. Last November, ICAO, the Organization of International Civil Aviation, adopted a resolution recommending to exempt non-European companies of the carbon tax. 26 of its 36 members including China, the United States and Russia, were signatories. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ICAO call for voluntary measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, implemented worldwide.

In a report published in early 2011, the rating agency Standard & Poor's estimated that the measure Brussels could cost 1.12 billion for airlines in 2012-2013. Since then, the price per tonne of CO2 collapsed on the European market which would reduce the cost to about 700 million euros. But it adds to the severe increase in fuel prices.

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Sony, with its new portable video game console, the PlayStation Vita (Vita PS), released this week in the U.S. and Europe, plays big. The Tokyo group has difficulty in televisions and scalded online players last year due to piracy of bank cards. In addition, Sony should try to forget the limited success of the PSP. Its first handheld console was "to compete with the DS" Nintendo. Finally, in its different versions, it sold half of PSP than DS, with respectively 75 million and 155 million units.

To impose its PS Vita, Sony is betting on innovation in terms of hardware and business model. Faced with the rise of smartphones, the PS Vita has a large touch screen in an advanced display (OLED) and has, on the back, a touch pad used to play. It can connect to the Internet or network of Sony PlayStation Network via Wi-Fi or a 3G mobile operator.

Before subsidies, it is sold between 250 euros (WiFi only) and 300 euros. In stores, Micromania began presenting to potential clients the console.

In addition, the sales model evolves. The PS Vita will be offered by mobile operators. It will be well funded, in part, in exchange for a commitment of subscription for mobile data, such as those proposed for internet tablets. "We have signed a European agreement with Vodafone. In France, SFR will offer the console exclusive, "said Philippe Cardon, the CEO of the gaming division of Sony in France. SFR should have three to six months ahead of other operators, if Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile wanted to offer.

Console to a euro

This is the first to launch a portable game console, even if mobile operators, TV channels, pay TV, cable operators and Internet service providers have already offered or sold at prices minimal consoles in exchange for long-term subscription to their service. SFR offers the console and at 29 euros, which includes reimbursement of 100 euros. And its price drops to 1 euro provided a subscription to 37 euros per month, with 3 GB of data included. "The goal is to provide a console that will satisfy both players and allow them to? Socialize? other players who are around them, "said Philippe Cardon. He added that the console will have "at its output a fifty titles. A score can only be downloaded, of which 7 were developed at Sony. "

Download, games should cost about ten dollars less than those available in store. These titles should be richer "that games like Fifa for smartphones that cost 1-2 euros but have fewer features. The casual gaming (single games, Ed) smartphone and tablet is complementary to our business. It serves to broaden the gaming audience, "says the head of Sony. Nevertheless, despite a score of 0.5 million PS Vita sold in Japan in less than a month, some critics ensure it takes off more slowly than the PSP.

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Kellogg's takes its revenge. After being out of the game last year, the world's leading cereal offers Pringles potato chips, for $ 2.7 billion. It takes advantage of misadventures of the seller, Procter & Gamble (P & G), which had entered into negotiations in April 2011 with fellow American Diamon Foods for the sale of Pringles.

These negotiations were unsuccessful, the purchaser being mired in a huge accounting scandal. Within months, the stock price Diamond Foods has lost half its value. But the company had committed to spend $ 2.4 billion, mainly in equities, to get their hands on Pringles. In early January, Diamond Foods announced it would need to reassess its accounts the past two years, following an internal investigation into its accounting practices. Hours later, P & G said look for an alternative.

Kellogg's and P & G should complete the operation by the summer. The withdrawal of Diamond Foods will not result in financial compensation for P & G.

By offering the brand of chips, which generates about $ 1.5 billion in sales and employs 1,700 people, Kellogg's is a giant step for the future. "Pringles has a global presence that propels to Kellogg's second in the world of crackers, helping us achieve our goal of becoming a real business of cereals and snacks," says John A. Bryant, CEO of Kellogg's, which topped last year's $ 13 billion in revenue.

PepsiCo, the leader

Sold in over 140 countries, produced in Belgium and the U.S., the Pringles potato chips become the second brand of Kellogg's Special K behind The U.S. giant has already Keebler cookies and crackers and Cheez-It Townhouse. The group also sells cereal bars and fruit snacks. But he has to go up a gear abroad.

"The acquisition of Pringles it provides a platform for international distribution of its products ready for snacking," analysts said BernsteinResearch. This should lead to synergies, particularly in Asia, where Kellogg's is still low.

Dominated by PepsiCo, the snack market, with sales approaching $ 65 billion, grew twice as fast in the last five years in emerging markets (+9.6% on average) than in mature markets. The sale of Pringles brand disengagement of P & G's food, a segment where the world's leading consumer products had tried to diversify in the 1990s. In 2004, he had already sold its Sunny Delight juice. It intends to focus on cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products.

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Social cuts and austerity measures provoke social unrest throughout the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, the reform of the labor market, adopted Friday by decree, has attracted a first wave of spontaneous protest. In Portugal, it is the application of the rescue plan that creates a massive mobilization.

At the Puerta del Sol of Madrid, hundreds of people gathered Friday night to protest against the reform. Described as "historic" by the Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, the decree is the latest attempt by Madrid halting the advance of unemployment, which seems unstoppable. At 22.85% of the workforce, the Spanish rate has broken all records in the industrialized world.

The Executive intends to promote employment by making IDUs more attractive. In addition to some tax incentives, the reform lowers the costs of layoffs and wage cuts authorize unilateral when the company through a bad patch.

General strike on hold

The event on Friday, unauthorized, has been dissolved violently by police as the protesters approached the Parliament. Unions, criticized by protesters who think they are too timid, were not represented Puerta del Sol. Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and Union General de Trabajadores (UGT) intend to channel anger Social next Sunday: a "general mobilization" was convened and processions will be organized throughout Spain paydayloans. The possibility of a general strike, it remains outstanding.

In Portugal, the mobilization has already taken place. "The biggest demonstration in thirty years' 300,000 people gathered Saturday in Lisbon, according to the CGTP, the main union. In a long speech, the secretary general of the Central attacked both the troika (European Commission, ECB and IMF), responsible for monitoring the implementation of the bailout, and the government, accused of submission. Many times Arménio Carlos was interrupted by protesters when he cited the name of the Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho. "Gatuno! Gatuno "(" Thief! "), The crowd chanted. Also put into question, the finance minister, accused of violating the "dignity" and "sovereignty" of the Portuguese. In an exchange with his German counterpart, Vitor Gaspar had thanked Berlin for accepting an "adjustment" of the financial plan.

Advocating a debt renegotiation, Carlos called for a higher minimum wage Portuguese, currently set at 485 euros gross. A new day of action is scheduled on February 29.

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The document will be ratified by André Merlin, President of Medgrid, and Paul Van Son, his alter ego in Desertec. Eric Besson, the French Minister of Industry and Jochen Homann, his German counterpart, will also attend. In Brussels, which is also a Council of European Ministers of Energy, the Commission also takes advantage of having worked for the merger of the two initiatives quick cash.But technological advances have reduced line losses, which now stand at 3% per thousand miles, plus 2% at the entrance and exit of high-voltage network, says the expert of the IEA.

Current day and night

The future of solar photovoltaic Maghreb will not. This will be central to thermal concentration (on the principle of Gemasolar, Spain) that have the great advantage of storing energy and thus provide power at night or on cloudy days, and especially the demand.

The first project under the Desertec should expand its parabolic mirrors of 12 square kilometers, near Ouarzazate (Morocco) and an output of 500 megawatts (more than half of a nuclear reactor for generating Fessenheim for example).

What are the most promising areas of inequality? Not surprisingly, the reduction of working hours which comes first, cited by 60% of companies. One reason the system packages days, 35 hours derogating for about 1.5 million frames. Closely monitor the conditions of dismissal (59%), the supplementary pension (54%) and foresight (48%) or those not having the status framework are clearly disadvantaged.

Investor sentiment is supported by advanced this week in the eurozone. Management of public finances in Greece and Italy, two countries that focus on crisis fears of European debt, will change hands. In Greece, Lucas Papademos, former Vice President of the European Central Bank (ECB) has éténommé at the head of a government of national unity. In his first statement, he said that the euro is a "guarantee of monetary stability." The new Greek prime minister should take the oath at noon today.