Archives 2007

UNI Global Union Supports British Burberry Workers In China Move

Union Network International says jobs of 300 British workers are under threat as clothing maker Burberry plans to move production from the United Kingdom to China in March.

UNI says Burberry’s image is founded on the idea of being British and if it closes its factory in Treorchy in March as planned then it “will have to trick customers worldwide into thinking that a product made in China is still the essence of Britishness.”

Japan is one of Burberry’s biggest markets and UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings said a Japanese shopworker will be asked to sell something on the promise that it is a traditional British product while knowing it is made in China.

“Burberry cannot expect our members, the sales staff in Japan, or anywhere else to lie or even to put their hearts into a selling a product under false pretences,” Jennings said.

UNI’s Japanese affiliates through the UNI Liaison Committee have written to the Burberry workers expressing their full support for the British workers and their union GMB, in the fight to retain their jobs. They warned Burberry that customers in Japan could feel cheated and betrayed which could do great damage to Burberry sales in Japan.

The fight to keep Burberry jobs in Wales has also reached Euro-MPs, who led by Wales MEPs Glenys Kinnock and Eluned Morgan sent a Valentine’s message to company bosses to ‘Stop Breaking Our Hearts’.

Speaking from Strasbourg, Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock said, “By moving production to China, Burberry is breaking the hearts of its loyal and hardworking Welsh workforce and devastating an already deprived community. The company has also failed to give guarantees that the factories in China, to where production is likely to be moved, will not employ child labour or use forced labour. At a time when consumers increasingly make choices according to company ethics, Burberry’s actions are not only morally reprehensible but commercially unsound.”

Eluned Morgan added, “Burberry’s decision to move production to China is sheer corporate greed. The company’s sales are booming and profits are healthy. There is absolutely no reason for the company to pull out of the Rhondda Valley. I and my European colleagues today urge Burberry to rediscover its sense of Corporate Social Responsibility and keep its Treorchy factory open.”

Peru, China to start trade talks this year

PERU and China are expected to begin free trade talks this year with expert-level discussion to open next month, Peru’s Tourism and Foreign Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz said Thursday.

“We are calling a meeting of technical teams at the end of March or beginning of April, and we hope to launch the negotiations with China this year,” said Araoz.

The statement came one week after the minister said the two nations would begin a feasibility study on a bilateral free trade agreement.

Araoz also said Peru is working with the private sector on defining the terms of a trade deal with South Korea; and possible free trade agreements were under consideration with Canada and the European Free Trade Association whose members are Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

As member of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), Peru is also working on an association agreement with the 27-member European Union.

CAN nations will meet to discuss the EU talks in March, Araoz said.

Hudson to Acquire Major IT Recruiter in China

Move Will Solidify Position as Asia’s Market Leader in Mid- to Senior-Level Recruitment

NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Seeking to expand its team presence and depth in mainland China markets Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, Hudson (NASDAQ: HHGP) today announced that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tony Keith Associates Ltd. to better serve the talent needs of U.S. multi-nationals operating in Asia. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of the year, subject to customary closing conditions.

“This deal brings together two leading recruitment brands in the Chinese market,” said Gary Lazzarotto, chief executive officer of Hudson/Asia. “The combined expertise and geographic reach of one of China’s leading IT recruiters and our mid- to senior-level recruitment capabilities should be extremely attractive to U.S. multi-nationals seeking top talent to help enter the market or expand their operations in this high-growth region of the world.”

“Hudson’s global reach, talent network and client base will enable us to better serve our existing clients and candidates, and broaden our reach to other companies that could benefit from our specialized recruitment capabilities,” said Raymond Wong, partner of Tony Keith. “What’s more, and just as important, Hudson’s organizational culture and values mirror ours.”

Hudson, which has operated in four key Asia markets (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and China) for nearly a decade — will now number more than 350 professionals and seven offices primarily serving U.S. multi-national clients throughout that continent. Recently, the global recruitment and talent management firm was recognized by China’s World Management Review magazine as “Greater China’s Best Headhunting Firm of the Year” for 2006.

Hudson

Hudson (NASDAQ: HHGP) is a leading provider of permanent recruitment, contract professionals and talent management services worldwide. From single placements to total outsourced solutions, Hudson helps clients achieve greater organisational performance by assessing, recruiting, developing and engaging the best and brightest people for their businesses. The company employs more than 3,600 professionals serving clients and candidates in more than 20 countries. More information is available at http://www.hudson.com/.

Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company’s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of our control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including our ability to complete the Tony Keith acquisition, economic and other conditions in the markets in which Tony Keith operates, risks associated with operating Tony Keith as part of Hudson Highland Group, unexpected developments relating to Tony Keith’s business after closing of the acquisition and other risks discussed in our Form 10-K and our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

Demand Soars for China-Specific Finance Talent

By Meta L. Levin 2007.1.23 Wall Street Journal

When Bernie Fung returned to Hong Kong 14 years ago, he secured a front row seat for the fastpaced economic transformation of the People’s Republic of China.

A HongKong Native who spent 20 years working and studying in Canada and the U.S., Mr. Fung is now CEO of AON Asia, a risk management consultancy, and finds himself competing for the limited pool of financial professionals who have expertise and experience of working in and with China. “It’s a challenge to find the right talent,” he says.

The rapid pace of economic growth is making China one of the hottest financial recruitment markets in the world. And multinational companies seeking to enter China are looking to hire candidates with skills that allow them to work in, and advise on, this complex market.

Companies arriving in china on the tide of foreign investment need accountants, auditors and financial managers who understand the market and are familiar with the variances between cities, provinces and regions. Demand is also high for English speakers, those with overseas and management experience, as well as familiarity with working in a multinational corporate environment and with new product sales, says Thomas Zhou, partner and co-founder of DaCare Executive Search, which has offices in Beijing and Shanghai.

“Native (Chinese) understand the culture, the policies and, most important, they have network connections with local government and companies,” says Sherry Liu, a Beijing native, now based in Milwaukee, who has lived in the U.S. for 22 years and operates SimChain Global Logistics LLC, and outsourcing company in China. Like most, she believes that the best picks are the “haigui,” Chinese who studied abroad and know the international game rules.

That, however, is one of the biggest challenges, and recruiters like Guy Day, managing director of Ambition Asia, an accounting and finance recruiting firm in Hong Kong, struggle to find enough Mandarin-speaking candidates who hold a U.S. Certified Public Accountant, British Certified Practical Accountant or similar certification from other countries.

Chinese colleges and universities are turning out an increasing number of entry-level job candidates, but there are few middle and upper-management Chinese with the necessary experience in international commerce, making the competition fierce and salaries rise. “Investment in education didn’t start until about 10 years ago, so there is a greater supply of those with little or no experience and the top jobs are going to people from Hong Kong or to non-Asians,” says Mr. Day.

It can be difficult, however, for non-Asians to understand the cultural complexities of working in china. “Sometimes a manager coming in from another country will have problems, because he doesn’t know how to handle the locals,” says Leonard Sarkissian of Milwaukee, Wis., whose company, international Harbor LLC, helps foreign firms through the process of setting up a business in China. He emphasizes the importance of learning to read cultural cues. For instance, Chinese will not say no directly to guests. They may say,” it’s very difficult,” explains Ms. Liu. “There are many ways to show their disagreement, but none of them is no”. Foreign managers who don’t understand that may find the process frustrating and counterproductive.

Recognizing this, AON Corp., AON Asia’s parent company, recently initiated a program to identify Chinese national studying in the U.S., hire them and put them through a training program before sending them back to China to work at either AON’s insurance or brokerage offices there.

Those who take internal audit jobs in China must be ready for a lot of travel, and that can make these positions a tough sell, says Mr. Day. “Some of the junior-Level jobs have 90% travel. You are literally living out of a suitcase.” Accounting and financial analysis jobs tend to have considerably less. Since many companies have manufacturing facilities in China, it also is important that those looking for jobs understand and be familiar with this environment, Mr. Day says.

Chinese job candidates are becoming more sophisticated. Whereas salary was king for many years, whey now are evaluating employers by career trajectory, training and overseas opportunities, as well as remuneration.

“Candidates have woken up to the fact that working for the right company and having the opportunity to work their way along a clearly defined career path can be worth more than money along,” says Mr. Day. While money is still strong attraction, he finds the market maturing as those with financial expertise look for careers and not just jobs, and cast a critical eye on such things as location and travel opportunities. Employees also prefer big name multinational companies, seeing in them more opportunities in the long run.

An increasing number of young Chinese job candidates are looking for companies that will finance their M.B.A. studies, says Mr. Sarkissian. In fact, it has become a part of some corporate retention programs in China. An employer will offer to pay for graduate school in return for a commitment to stay with the company for certain number of years. A lot of Chinese universities also now have partnerships and joint programs with those in the U.S. and Europe. Often a job candidate will ask if the company will pay for an M.B.A. as part of the interview. “It would be the kicker for them,” says Mr. Sarkissian.

Language is a big issue. Although Mr.Fung agree English is the international language of business, he believes that finance professionals who want to be successful in China do need to at least be familiar with Putonghua, the official Mandarin dialect spoken in most of the large cities.
“As a hot growth market, more U.S. companies are trying to establish their presence (in china), which does create additional demand for managers who are fully Mandarin-English fluent in both language and culture,” says Susan Amy, director of the Career Management Center at the university of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

These is also the issue of Chinese familiarity with Western business culture. “Part of the advice I give is to raise your hand and speak up at meetings,” says Corbette Doyle, AON’s U.S. –based global chief diversity officer. “That is culturally unacceptable in China.” It is Ms. Doyle’s job not only to promote diversity in AON’s offices around the world, but also to find ways to do business without stepping on cultural toes. She cites as an example a group of Chinese AON employees who founded the “China Desk” within the company. They help AON’s U.S. clients who want to go to china, as well as Chinese clients who want to invest in the U.S. “They see it as an opportunity to help the organization and help themselves without raising their hands and saying ‘look at me.'” She says.

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