Airlines including low-cost carriers have withdrawn all promotional fares and increased basic fares by around Rs.2,000 on several sectors from Tuesday.
The decision was taken as operators were faced with low load factors, though basic promotional fares had been as low as Rs.99 on many routes, industry sources said.
"We have discontinued our promotional fares as the response has not been very good, but people who have already bought tickets under the scheme will enjoy the benefit," said an Air India spokesperson here.
The spokesperson of private carrier Kingfisher Airlines said: "We have closed low fare buckets and are concentrating on setting higher fare buckets. Our focus is on revenue and not seat factors."
Agencies
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
One in four US companies plan salary freeze
About a quarter of businesses in America have frozen workers' salaries for 2009 in the wake of a pessimistic economic outlook, according to a new survey.
Outsourcing and consulting firm Mercer in a survey released Monday said 25 percent of organizations surveyed said they have already decided not to raise their employees' pay, and another 20 percent are considering a salary freeze this year.
A year ago, just 5 percent of companies planned to suspend raises for their staff. Mercer predicted that one in three companies will have frozen wages at 2008 levels by the end of 2009.
"It's not an easy message to communicate to employees, but we think managers will be aided by the unprecedented context of these difficult decisions - including low inflation and high unemployment," said Steve Gross of Mercer.
Those companies that plan on offering raises to their employees will give smaller-than-expected pay increases, Mercer said. The average expected salary bump at those businesses was just 3.2 percent, down from a planned 3.6 percent according to an October study.
The news comes as many employers are opting to slash jobs rather than reduce or freeze pay. Announced layoffs so far this year have already topped 300,000, and the Labour Department reported Friday that employers slashed 598,000 jobs in January - the single highest monthly job-loss total since December 1974.
Mercer also reported that executives are far less likely to get a salary increase than other employees in 2009. According to the survey, just 61 percent of companies are planning to raise their executives' pay, and 77 percent of respondents plan to decrease the level of executive compensation from their October projections.
Only 69 percent of employers plan to raise salaries for employees in managerial positions.
"Given lacklustre corporate performance and recent pressure from regulators, shareholders and the president (Barack Obama), it's not surprising to see that over the past few months, more than one-third of participants who reported executive salary data went from a 2009 planned base-salary increase for their executives to a freeze," said Gross.
Agencies
Outsourcing and consulting firm Mercer in a survey released Monday said 25 percent of organizations surveyed said they have already decided not to raise their employees' pay, and another 20 percent are considering a salary freeze this year.
A year ago, just 5 percent of companies planned to suspend raises for their staff. Mercer predicted that one in three companies will have frozen wages at 2008 levels by the end of 2009.
"It's not an easy message to communicate to employees, but we think managers will be aided by the unprecedented context of these difficult decisions - including low inflation and high unemployment," said Steve Gross of Mercer.
Those companies that plan on offering raises to their employees will give smaller-than-expected pay increases, Mercer said. The average expected salary bump at those businesses was just 3.2 percent, down from a planned 3.6 percent according to an October study.
The news comes as many employers are opting to slash jobs rather than reduce or freeze pay. Announced layoffs so far this year have already topped 300,000, and the Labour Department reported Friday that employers slashed 598,000 jobs in January - the single highest monthly job-loss total since December 1974.
Mercer also reported that executives are far less likely to get a salary increase than other employees in 2009. According to the survey, just 61 percent of companies are planning to raise their executives' pay, and 77 percent of respondents plan to decrease the level of executive compensation from their October projections.
Only 69 percent of employers plan to raise salaries for employees in managerial positions.
"Given lacklustre corporate performance and recent pressure from regulators, shareholders and the president (Barack Obama), it's not surprising to see that over the past few months, more than one-third of participants who reported executive salary data went from a 2009 planned base-salary increase for their executives to a freeze," said Gross.
Agencies
Has China overtakes US as largest auto market?
China overtook the United States as the largest auto market in the world in January, according to data published by Chinese state media on Tuesday.
A total of 735,000 automobiles were sold in China last month, state television said, citing Dong Yang, deputy director of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
By contrast, 656,976 vehicles were sold last month in the United States, according to preliminary estimates issued last week by market research firm Autodata.
Agencies
A total of 735,000 automobiles were sold in China last month, state television said, citing Dong Yang, deputy director of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
By contrast, 656,976 vehicles were sold last month in the United States, according to preliminary estimates issued last week by market research firm Autodata.
Agencies
Monday, February 9, 2009
Will Intel shift out 2,000 jobs out of Shanghai?
Intel Corp announced on Thursday a reorganization of its China operations that would close a Shanghai plant and eliminate 2,000 jobs, while affected workers would be offered positions in other parts of the country.
The news comes just days after the world's largest chipmaker said it would close plants in Malaysia, the Philippines and the U.S., cutting as many as 6,000 jobs as quarterly profit tumbled 90 percent.
"In order to optimize its manufacturing resources in China, Intel plans to consolidate Assembly and Test operations (ATM) from Pudong to Chengdu over the next 12 months," the company said in a statement.
Intel said it would provide the affected employees an option to work at the Chengdu facility in the west, or Dalian in the north, both more than 1,000 kilometres from Shanghai.
"The decision to relocate is up to the employees," said Nancy Zhang, an Intel spokesperson in Beijing. Zhang said she was not aware of any subsidies or other incentives that employees who choose to relocate would receive.
An Intel employee who attended the meeting in Shanghai where Brain Krzanich, president of Intel's Manufacturing and Supply Chain group, announced the job losses said workers were upset about the need to move to keep their jobs.
Intel said it was committed to China, nevertheless, and would increase its registered capital in Intel China Ltd., the company's investment holding company based in Shanghai, by $110 million.
Intel said the moves were necessary "as a result of the current economic conditions" and that its investment in the new $2.5 billion Dalian factory would be increased in order to insure that it has the latest advanced chip technology.
After Intel's assembly and test facility is closed in Shanghai, the eastern port city will still be home to an Intel research and development center and the firm's China headquarters.
Agencies
The news comes just days after the world's largest chipmaker said it would close plants in Malaysia, the Philippines and the U.S., cutting as many as 6,000 jobs as quarterly profit tumbled 90 percent.
"In order to optimize its manufacturing resources in China, Intel plans to consolidate Assembly and Test operations (ATM) from Pudong to Chengdu over the next 12 months," the company said in a statement.
Intel said it would provide the affected employees an option to work at the Chengdu facility in the west, or Dalian in the north, both more than 1,000 kilometres from Shanghai.
"The decision to relocate is up to the employees," said Nancy Zhang, an Intel spokesperson in Beijing. Zhang said she was not aware of any subsidies or other incentives that employees who choose to relocate would receive.
An Intel employee who attended the meeting in Shanghai where Brain Krzanich, president of Intel's Manufacturing and Supply Chain group, announced the job losses said workers were upset about the need to move to keep their jobs.
Intel said it was committed to China, nevertheless, and would increase its registered capital in Intel China Ltd., the company's investment holding company based in Shanghai, by $110 million.
Intel said the moves were necessary "as a result of the current economic conditions" and that its investment in the new $2.5 billion Dalian factory would be increased in order to insure that it has the latest advanced chip technology.
After Intel's assembly and test facility is closed in Shanghai, the eastern port city will still be home to an Intel research and development center and the firm's China headquarters.
Agencies
After losses Lenovo announces management changes
Chinese PC maker Lenovo, which today announced a loss of $96.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, said CEO William J. Amelio resigned in a management reshuffle.
While Lenovo founder Liu Chuanzhi would return as the chairman of the company, present chairman Yang Yuanqing will return as CEO in the place of Amelio, Lenovo said in a statement.
Observing that the next several quarters will be "very challenging for Lenovo and the rest of the PC industry", Lenovo said the worldwide restructuring program announced on January 8 is expected to save the company approximately US$300 million in the 2009/10 financial year.
"In the past quarter, same as many other companies, Lenovo was deeply impacted by the global economic turmoil," said Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing. "We have taken actions to ensure that in an uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future."
The PC maker said its global sales of US$3.59 billion for the reporting quarter is 20 per cent less compared with the same period of 2007.
"The Group's results were impacted principally by slowdown of the Chinese PC market in which it has significant market share and demand reduction in the worldwide commercial PC segment," the company statement said.
On January 9, Lenovo had announced that the company is going tolay off 2,500 employees, nearly 11 per cent of its work force.
While Lenovo founder Liu Chuanzhi would return as the chairman of the company, present chairman Yang Yuanqing will return as CEO in the place of Amelio, Lenovo said in a statement.
Observing that the next several quarters will be "very challenging for Lenovo and the rest of the PC industry", Lenovo said the worldwide restructuring program announced on January 8 is expected to save the company approximately US$300 million in the 2009/10 financial year.
"In the past quarter, same as many other companies, Lenovo was deeply impacted by the global economic turmoil," said Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing. "We have taken actions to ensure that in an uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future."
The PC maker said its global sales of US$3.59 billion for the reporting quarter is 20 per cent less compared with the same period of 2007.
"The Group's results were impacted principally by slowdown of the Chinese PC market in which it has significant market share and demand reduction in the worldwide commercial PC segment," the company statement said.
On January 9, Lenovo had announced that the company is going tolay off 2,500 employees, nearly 11 per cent of its work force.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Is LPOs set to ramp up headcount in India?
The global slowdown is keeping the legal process outsourcing (LPO) sector in India extra busy these days. With the sudden surge in business in the LPO space in the last one year, firms such as Pangea3, UnitedLex and Legal Circle are looking at ramping up headcount in the entry and mid-management levels over the next few months.
The turmoil in the financial services sector globally is driving more legal outsourcing to India both in the corporate and litigation space. Gurgaon-based UnitedLex’s vice-president HR, Rakhi Sharma, said, “We plan to hire 700 professionals in the next few months to keep pace with the work coming from the US and the UK.”
The firm has seen a significant jump in the number of outsourced projects over the last few months both in the corporate and litigation space. Bankruptcy filings in the US have gone up in the last couple of months raising demand for lawyers in India.
“Legal work related to bankruptcies in the global market has increased ,” said Pangea 3 Vice President Legal Services Antony Alex, adding that the law firm is set to recruit around 500 lawyers by the end of 2009. This includes campus placements across several law schools in the country.
Legal Circle, the LPO subsidiary of Delhi-based law firm Fox Mandal Little, too, is gearing up to ramp up headcount to take advantage of the booming time. “The demand for LPOs is on the rise and we have seen increased number of queries from the US to do litigation support from India,” said Fox Mandal Little managing partner Som Mandal.
According to research firm ValueNotes, the entire legal outsourcing industry in India reported revenues of $225 million in 2007, and is expected to generate revenues of around $640 million by the end of 2010. The sector reported a rise of over 200 per cent in revenues in the last 12 months.
Times of India
The turmoil in the financial services sector globally is driving more legal outsourcing to India both in the corporate and litigation space. Gurgaon-based UnitedLex’s vice-president HR, Rakhi Sharma, said, “We plan to hire 700 professionals in the next few months to keep pace with the work coming from the US and the UK.”
The firm has seen a significant jump in the number of outsourced projects over the last few months both in the corporate and litigation space. Bankruptcy filings in the US have gone up in the last couple of months raising demand for lawyers in India.
“Legal work related to bankruptcies in the global market has increased ,” said Pangea 3 Vice President Legal Services Antony Alex, adding that the law firm is set to recruit around 500 lawyers by the end of 2009. This includes campus placements across several law schools in the country.
Legal Circle, the LPO subsidiary of Delhi-based law firm Fox Mandal Little, too, is gearing up to ramp up headcount to take advantage of the booming time. “The demand for LPOs is on the rise and we have seen increased number of queries from the US to do litigation support from India,” said Fox Mandal Little managing partner Som Mandal.
According to research firm ValueNotes, the entire legal outsourcing industry in India reported revenues of $225 million in 2007, and is expected to generate revenues of around $640 million by the end of 2010. The sector reported a rise of over 200 per cent in revenues in the last 12 months.
Times of India
Is Infosys getting tougher on poor performers?
The economic slowdown has made Infosys Technologies, India’s second-largest IT services firm by revenues, take a harder look at employee performance. The firm has put 2,200 employees under the scanner for non-performance this year — more than double the number last year, a senior executive said.
Last year, about 1.5% of IT services staff or about 1,000 employees figured among the bottom performers. This year, the percentage has shot up to about 3.5%. About 600 of such non-performers have left the company already this year.
Such employees are put under a performance improvement plan, provided mentoring and their performance is reviewed for a quarter. “When the times were good, people got away with things. Our tolerance of non-performance has come down now,” Infosys director (HR, education & research and administration) TV Mohandas Pai said.
Meanwhile, the IT services major has made about 20,000 job offers to college students across the country for 2009-10. The company will honour the commitment made, Pai said.
However, there could be lower or even no wage increases at Infosys next fiscal. “Wage increase next year will be subdued, if there will be an increase,” the Infosys director said.
The IT services firm said it expects IT budgets of clients to be flat or may even reduce 5-10% next fiscal. “Clients are in pain and they want us to share the pain. Their ability to spend is lower,” he said.
Economictimes
Last year, about 1.5% of IT services staff or about 1,000 employees figured among the bottom performers. This year, the percentage has shot up to about 3.5%. About 600 of such non-performers have left the company already this year.
Such employees are put under a performance improvement plan, provided mentoring and their performance is reviewed for a quarter. “When the times were good, people got away with things. Our tolerance of non-performance has come down now,” Infosys director (HR, education & research and administration) TV Mohandas Pai said.
Meanwhile, the IT services major has made about 20,000 job offers to college students across the country for 2009-10. The company will honour the commitment made, Pai said.
However, there could be lower or even no wage increases at Infosys next fiscal. “Wage increase next year will be subdued, if there will be an increase,” the Infosys director said.
The IT services firm said it expects IT budgets of clients to be flat or may even reduce 5-10% next fiscal. “Clients are in pain and they want us to share the pain. Their ability to spend is lower,” he said.
Economictimes
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