SNPL pilots and key union hostess and stewards have launched a strike notice for four days starting Monday. They oppose a bill to impose a minimum service in the air during a strike. Of passengers at the information board on flights at Charles de Gaulle

French unions aviation, including pilots of SNPL and the main organizations of hostesses and stewards, confirmed Friday their strike call from 6 to 9 February to oppose a bill regulating the right to strike in this sector.

In addition to the pilots and flight attendants, federations FO, CFDT, UNSA and CGT have the air, after an inter-union, called the staff of companies and their service providers to mobilize. The bill "has been hardened to the Assembly and the government does not want to negotiate, the National Council of SNPL therefore confirmed the strike on Friday from 6 to 9 and decided it would be renewable, either directly after 9, or at another time, "he told AFP Yves Deshayes, national president of the SNPL, the main pilots' union, super-majority at Air France.

"At the Inter, after our board meeting, it's the same with a strike from 6 to 9, and a few different versions according to the unions," said Yves Deshayes. "The three main trade unions of PNC (flight attendants), the SNPNC, the Unac and UNSA also call from 6 to 9, "said the driver. "The strike is held from 6 to 9," also said Franck Mikula, president of the Unac (CFE-CGC) at the conclusion of the Inter.

The SNPL said that among the ground staff would go on strike and some others would be "in action via other means." "We call for the strike in all French airlines, in metropolitan and overseas territories" , said Yves Deshayes.

LVMH has published annual results Thursday soaring, signing a new record with the acquisition of Bulgari and demonstrating once again the resilience of luxury to shocks in the economy .

The world of the sector, including owner of Louis Vuitton, Moet et Chandon champagne and Christian Dior perfumes, has seen its annual sales climb 16% to 23.66 billion euros, slightly above consensus expectations Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S (23.3 billion).

The group's organic growth stood at 14% throughout 2011 and to 12% in the fourth quarter alone. However, it marks a slowdown over the last three months of the year compared to 15% increase recorded in the first nine.

The annual operating income of the group rose 22% to just over five billion euros, 5.26 billion (5.1 billion against expected) and the margin increased by 0 , 7 points to 22%.

After the Swiss Richemont (Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels) and Britain's Burberry, LVMH therefore confirms the good health of an industry that takes advantage of the strong demand in emerging countries, the re , resistance to the U.S. market and tourist flows in Europe.

"The year 2011 was again an excellent year, as was 2010 (…) Unless a major accident and despite the difficulties in Europe, the world is growing and wants more and more products, "said Bernard Arnault, CEO of the group, with a smile of satisfaction.

"We are fortunate to have as emerging markets, but also the United States, who leave and which cause strongly all of our activities, "he said, adding that being" reasonably confident for 2012 ".

'EXCELLENT' YEAR E 2012 EXPECTED FOR VUITTON

He referred to the January sales "consistent" with those of the end of 2011 and predicted for the Louis Vuitton leather goods, the nugget, which accounts for more than half of the profits of the group, an "excellent year 2012." 

With the debt crisis in Europe and slowing U.S. growth, many analysts have revised down their forecasts organic growth of the great names in luxury for 2012.

All divisions of the group have experienced double-digit growth and significantly improved margins last year, with the exception of perfumes and cosmetics (Dior, Givenchy), more affected by the crisis in Europe.

In fashion, leather goods, Louis Vuitton has yet to sign growth "double digit", while the claws Loewe and Celine have completed the year with "beautiful results", wished to clarify Bernard Arnault. 

This division, the most profitable group with Vuitton, saw its operating income surpass the $ 3.0 billion to 3.07 billion euros, with sales reaching 8.7 billion , up 16% at constant rates.

With strong demand and tight supply, the famous monogrammed bags have also benefited from price increases "more significant" than other brands.

In wines and spirits (cognac Hennessy, Dom Perignon champagne, Ruinart and Moet & Chandon), sales increased 10% to $ 3.5 billion and the margin has been 2.5 percentage points to 31% .

Selective distribution (Sephora, DFS) was not unworthy, with a leap of 34% in sales and an improvement of one point margin to 11%. 

But the most growth pole returns to watches and jewelry (TAG Heuer, Zenith and Chaumet), which has more than doubled with the acquisition of Bulgari and has increased sales by 41% ; like basis, for a margin of 13.6%.

NO hegemony HERMÈS

About Hermes, in which LVMH continued to rise (22.3%), while the deluxe saddle has been locking his family holding company capital, Bernard Arnault has reaffirmed that the participation e silent "friendly" and that LVMH had "no desire to dominate." 

Once will not hurt, LVMH has invited in the news at a time when the debate over the "made in France" is raging in France, flying to the rescue, via one of suppliers in leather, the workshop Lejaby lingerie in Yssingeaux (Haute-Loire).

The annual net income reached 3.06 billion euros signing up to 1% but 34% excluding the unrealized gain realized on the outstanding stake in Hermes s in 2010.

With these figures, the group will offer its shareholders a dividend increase of 24% to 2.60 euros.

The title LVMH closed Thursday at 126.40 euros at the Paris Stock Exchange, rising 15.5% since early January, after falling 11.13% in 2011. 

Perceived by analysts as the value most defensive sector, largely due to the brand Louis Vuitton, she exchanged with valuation multiples of about 17 times the beneficial ; profits estimated for 2012, representing a premium of approximately 15% of the industry average off Hermes.

The group specializes in the trade press and trade fairs Reed Elsevier reported Wednesday an increase of 1% of its turnover for the first nine months of the year to provide comparables and said earnings per share on year in line with expectations.

According to a spokesperson, the group consensus estimates for EPS to show between 45 and 46 pence, representing an increase of 4% to 6%.

In exchange, the action was down 0.82% to 8.80 euros in Amsterdam and from 1% to 532 pence in London, while the European index of the media sector earns 0.7%.

Each of the five divisions of the Anglo-Dutch group is growing its billing smoothed non-recurring items.

Divided, the European Union decided Tuesday to put the spring at least the creation of a tax on financial transactions, which has yet active support of France and Germany.

Several countries, within and outside the euro area, have expressed strong reservations at the monthly meeting of EU finance ministers that such a tax "Tobin" is implemented in the EU without first being decided at the international level.

"Today the Ecofin, we mainly talked about the tax on financial transactions. The debate was lively," said the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble.

As for Britain, which critics have intensified in recent days, she simply asked that the case be permanently archived.

"I suggest we bury the idea that there will be a tax on financial transactions," he told his counterparts the British Minister of Finance, George Osborne.

The name of the successor of François Chérèque is already known for three years, provides a blog linked to Figaro.fr. The handover could take place in mid-2012. The departure of François Chérèque of the post of secretary general of the CFDT could happen in mid-2012.

François Chérèque of the estate at the head of the CFDT is folded from "a long time," says the BBC journalist Mark Landre on his blog The Cartoon Network. According to him, Lawrence Berger, national secretary in charge of employment and organization, no doubt replace the current general secretary. The decision would even be fixed for three years. "The question is not whether Lawrence will take the place of Francis, but when," reportedly said a central part of Belleville. According to him, this could be done in an early departure of François Chérèque "in mid-2012."

Strong differences of views on the management of the debt crisis have materialized Friday between Europeans and Americans.

At a crucial meeting of finance ministers of the euro area, which was exceptionally invited the Secretary of U.S. Treasury Timothy Geithner, Germany has refused to commit more public funds to support the euro area , as called for it.

In turn, Timothy Geithner has ruled out a tax on financial transactions, despite their wishes known by the heavyweights of the single currency area such as Germany and France.

The exchange was reported by some journalists to the Austrian Minister of Finance, Maria Fekter.

"He stressed that more funds were needed to prevent the system (financial) is in difficulties.(Wolfgang) Schäuble told him it was very unlikely to be possible to weigh the burden on taxpayers, especially if the burden is imposed on those countries AAA, "she said.

"In these countries, there is a desire to implement a tax on financial transactions (…) It (Geithner) was excluded," she said.

"I think especially that although Americans have basic worse than the euro area they tell us what to do and when we give them a suggestion, they immediately say no I (…) hoped that when they tell us how they see the world they listen to what we have to tell them, "she further said.

At the press conference following the meeting of the Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker, also made a plea in to U.S. demands to curb austerity.

"We see in the euro area no flexibility that allows us to implement a new stimulus package," he said.

"Loose talk"

A debate is at work within the euro area and between Europeans and Americans on whether or not to put a brake on the policy of austerity, while the economic recovery is decelerating sharply.

According to several sources, the whirlwind tour of Europe by Timothy Geithner was to defend the principle of recovery and ensure that the euro area had the will and the tools to manage the crisis.

He called on governments and central banks to work together and avoid "loose talk" on the dismantling of the euro area.

According to several sources of high rank, he also pleaded Friday for the use of leverage to multiply the response capacity of the fund "euro area".

It is currently 440 billion euros but this sum could be too low when the new government fund to recapitalize banks and buy back sovereign debt will take effect this fall.

Jean-Claude Juncker has denied the existence of such a discussion between EU ministers and their U.S. counterpart.

"We do not discuss the increase in the size of EFSF with countries outside the euro area," he said.

A senior source said, however, that this possibility was discussed Friday afternoon.

Germany and other countries had so far rejected an outright increase in the size of the fund and the national parliaments have yet to ratify the new powers of EFSF decided at the EU summit on 21 July.

PSA Peugeot Citroen and General Electric announced Wednesday it had signed a business cooperation and technology in Europe around the electric vehicle.

The automaker and the U.S. giant has said in a statement that the agreement was not exclusive to work together including the deployment of a commercial offering combining the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

New offerings destined for the corporate customers will also be developed.

General Electric is committed in this context to purchase up to 1,000 electric vehicles to PSA by the end of 2015.

PSA remember launched in late 2010 electric vehicle Citroën "C-ZERO" Peugeot and "ion".

Wall Street has ended up a very volatile day on Monday, a rally to have occurred at the very end of the session in the hope that Italy receive financial support from China.

Italy has asked China to perform major purchases of its sovereign debt, the Financial Times.

"This shows that the Chinese are not kidding when it comes to addressing the tensions of the market," said Robbert Van Batenburg (Louis Capital).

Before this news, which also had the effect of reducing the bond market, prices were well oriented in the red, affected again by fears about the crisis of sovereign debt in the euro area.

What should be added those of Moody's downgrade see French banks.

The fear of the debt crisis of the European impact on the U.S. banking system does not weigh less heavily on Wall Street for months. In addition, the ministerial summit of the G7 last weekend did not lead to new initiatives to boost growth.

"U.S. investors are faced with a barrage of bad news from European markets," commented Andrew Wilkinson, analyst at Interactive Brokers Group. However, he added, "after a weak start sensitive, investors seem a little less concerned."

The Dow Jones gained 68.99 points (0.63%) to 11,061.12. The Standard & Poor's is 8.04 points (0.7%) to 1162.27.The Nasdaq composite leading 27.10 points (1.1%) to 2495.09.

Agreement in the high tech sector was already allowed the Nasdaq to limit its losses during the session.

Areas that closely follow the business cycle have reacted differently to the late rebound for rating index of natural resources eventually even a loss of 0.77% but the energy was able to go back and shows a gain of 0.53%.

In high tech, NetLogic Microsystems jumped 50.8%, the specialist mobile chips that Broadcom agreed to buy back $ 3.7 billion.

Broadcom has yielded 1.14%.The semiconductor index has been 3.03%.

The merger "shows that many shares are undervalued, a historical perspective," says Joseph Cangemi, managing director of BNY ConvergEx Group.

In banking, Bank of America shows a gain of 1.0%. The bank announced Monday eliminate 30,000 jobs in the coming years in order to reduce its annual expenses of five billion dollars by 2014.

The financial index, which also visited the negative territory for most of the day, closing displays a gain of 1.22%.

Values ​​always, McGraw-Hill Companies has gained nearly 4%, the publisher has announced plans to split into two companies, one international and one in education.

Bank of America announced Monday the sale of its credit cards in Canada and provides a similar withdrawal in the world.

In Canada, the U.S. bank has an agreement with TD Bank Group on a portfolio of $ 8.6 billion, according to a statement released Monday, however, reveals that the amount of the transaction.

TD Group said it would pay a "modest premium" of the approximately 1.8 million customer accounts at Bank of America again.

First Bank of the United States, Bank of America also said it would end its activities in credit cards in Britain and Ireland.It has not yet decided what to do, whether a gradual withdrawal or sale, said a spokesman.

Bank of America also announced the sale of its credit cards in Spain in the private equity fund Apollo Capital Management.In April, it sold a small business lending activity in Britain to Barclays.

These announcements come as BofA seeks to strengthen its capital reserves, the bank was facing several legal disputes inherited from the takeover of the mortgage company Countrywide.

After losing over 22 billion dollars over the last four quarters in its mortgage business, BofA announced in late June have resolved almost all of a dispute relating to securities linked to mortgages from Countrywide, on payment $ 8.5 billion in cash.

On Monday, comments from analysts believing that the bank should raise funds to absorb its losses had dropped by 20% during the BofA on Wall Street.

But the sale of its credit cards abroad has not been decided in response to these criticisms, said Jerry Dubrowski, a spokesman for Bank of America.

The latter said that the bank had raised some $ 30 billion through various asset disposals last year and a half, including reducing its stake in BlackRock, the global management of assets.

By 1515 GMT, the action Bank of America gained 4.3%, outperforming the Dow Jones up 1.05%.

Gold continues to surge Tuesday morning in a movement of flight to quality due to concerns about the macroeconomic outlook after the deterioration of the U.S. debt rating by Standard & Poor's on Friday.

The August contract on gold gained 3.4% to 1772 dollars to 9:40 GMT in the session after reaching a record 1782.5 million.