France

FRANCE - The CGT (Confederation Generale de Travail), France's most militant trade union, has blamed France's association of directors, the Medef, of time-wasting during the first round of negotiations over pension reform.

FRANCE/CHINA - French investment house BNP Paribas Asset Management is the latest player to enter into a joint venture in China as the race to cash in on the country's potentially lucrative fund marketplace continues.

UK/FRANCE - Trade unions are taking a pension row at UK chemical firm Rhodia to its parent company in France.

FRANCE - The French Socialist Party is calling for a review of the country's controversial pensions reform bill.

FRANCE - Full details of the tender process for the e16 billion Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites (French state pension reserve fund) have been disclosed, along the same asset allocation lines that IPN reported in May.

FRANCE - France's most powerful public sector trade union, the Confederation Generale de Travail (CGT), has conceded defeat over the country's controversial pension reform blaming disunity among trade unions for its lack of influence.

FRANCE - Lyxor Asset Management, owned by Société Générale Group, has launched a new exchange traded fund (ETF) on the Euronext Paris based on the on Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index.

FRANCE - CGT, France's biggest and most militant trade union, has hit back at claims that public support for its fight against pension reform is waning as strikes threaten to cripple the country again today.

FRANCE - France is facing more nationwide industrial action today as the battle over pension reform escalates.

FRANCE - Fortis Investment Management (FIM) is set to enhance its core capability in euro fixed income with the hire of Emeric Challier, formerly head of the global bond team at Société Générale Asset Management.