The European Union on Tuesday fined 11 airlines a total of 799.4 million euros, or $1.1 billion, for fixing prices on international cargo shipments, leading to higher prices for businesses to move their goods. The European Commission, the EU’s competition watchdog, said “the carriers coordinated their action on surcharges for fuel and security without discounts” between December 1999 and February 2006, when the EU’s investigation stopped the cartel. “Had it not been for the commission’s intervention, the cartel would not have ended in 2006,” said Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Air France-KLM received the largest fine and has to pay 310.1 million euros, while British Airways PLC was fined 104 million euros. Air France-KLM will also have to pay the 29.5 million-euro fine for Martinair, which it now owns. Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Cargolux, Japan Airlines, LAN Chile, SAS, Singapore Airlines and Qantas also will have to pay fines between 8.2 million and 79.9 million euros.
Facebook boss slam becomes legal first
A Connecticut woman who was fired after she posted disparaging remarks about her boss on Facebook has prompted a first-of-its-kind legal case by federal authorities who say her comments are protected speech under labor laws. The National Labor Relations Board alleges that American Medical Response of Connecticut, Inc., illegally fired Dawnmarie Souza from her job as an emergency medical technician late last year after she criticized her supervisor on her personal Facebook page and then traded Facebook messages about the negative comments with other employees. The complaint, filed Oct. 27 by the board’s Hartford, Conn., regional office, could set a precedent for employers to heed as more workers use social networking sites to share details about their jobs.
Job openings fall sharply last month
Job openings dropped sharply in September, a sign that hiring is likely to remain weak over the next several months. The Labor Department said Tuesday that employers advertised 2.9 million jobs at the end of September. That’s a drop of 163,000, or 5.3 percent, from the previous month. The figures come after the department issued a modestly positive employment report Friday. That report found that employers added a net total of 151,000 jobs in October, more than most economists expected. Tuesday’s report signals that employers still aren’t willing to hire.
Inventories, sales rise in September
Inventories held at the wholesale level rose for a ninth consecutive month in September while sales rose for a third month, encouraging signs that the economic expansion will continue. Wholesale inventories rose 1.5 percent in September, a much bigger gain than had been expected, after a 1.2 percent increase in August, the Commerce Department reported. Sales at the wholesale level were up 0.4 percent in September.
From Herald news services
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