| Middle-class autoworkers cling to way of life amid benefit cuts
Just two weeks after his 18th birthday, Randy Horter started his first factory job, helping make clutches and air conditioning systems at an auto parts plant. Since then, the 49-year-old Chrysler line worker has cobbled together a career working at various manufacturing plants and made a nice, middle-class life with his wife, Candace, who works at the same Chrysler plant in Belvidere, Ill. The couple earns about $75,000 a year, unless one or the other is laid off. They own two used cars and their home. Between them, they raised five children, now grown, and were hoping to start preparing for retirement. .
Giving orang asli youth skills training
TANGKAK: The Johor Education Foundation (YPJ) has launched an aggressive move to attract as many orang asli youth to take up skills training courses next month. A team, led by Muar and Batu Pahat community college chairman Abdullah Omar, has started making visits and giving talks to a community of Temuan orang asli near Gunung Ledang. Abdullah said the programme was aimed at providing work skills to orang asli youth who did not have proper education to help them improve themselves. "The community colleges in Johor have been providing work skills such as electrical wiring, air-conditioning repair, sewing and even tailoring to youth for several years. "However, we now want to push the programme to the orang asli youth," he said in Kampung Tanah Gembur on Thursday. Abdullah said the settlement, headed by Tuk Batin Jengking Jani, had about 66 families living in 52 homes located at the foothill of Gunung Ledang near Bekok. He said initial checks with the community showed many of the youth either worked as contract labourers with daily wages or were self-employed. He said the community of about 300 residents who owned cars or motorcycles and mostly lived in homes powered by generators could benefit if there was a certified electrical wireman or mechanic among them. He said besides installing or repairing electrical wires, those with motor mechanical knowledge could repair vehicles while the girls could become tailors and sew dresses.
Tomkins FY pretax 262.6 mln stg, up 7.3 pct; sees challenging year ...
(adds reaction, amends spelling of CEO James Nicol's name) LONDON, Feb. 21, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Engineering group Tomkins reported a 7.3 pct rise in pretax profits of 262.6 mln stg for the year to Dec 29, after new products and a focus on emerging markets helped offset economic weakness in US car and construction markets. Sales from continuing operations were 2.94 bln stg, down from 3.13 bln in 2006, it said, and the adjusted operating margin was 9.0 pct against 9.4 pct the year before. Adjusted operating profits, which exclude disposals, fell 11 pct to 264.7 mln. Net debt was 296.8 mln stg, against 403.0 mln in 2006, and the company said it is considering a share buyback of 5-10 pct. CEO James Nicol said the group, which makes components for cars and air conditioning systems and building products such as baths and windows, delivered a good performance after taking a number of 'self-help' measures to counter headwinds in its US automotive and construction end-markets.
Auto Tata Motors Unveils $2,500 "Nano" in New Delhi
The time to reach the stated maximum speed of 68mph was not given. This slow acceleration does let the Nano achieve excellent mileage -- estimates are 50mpg city and 60mpg highway. While other cars have exceeded these numbers, they don't share the Nano's low cost of entry. The Nano will be available in two trim levels, "Standard" and "Luxury." The "Standard" is truly spartan, with vinyl seats, a single-color interior, black plastic bumpers and not much else. The "Luxury" lives up to its name by comparison, offering a list of features such as: Body-colored bumpers Fog lamps Power door locks Power mirrors Air conditioning and heater Dual-color interior Fabric seats The sticker price for the Luxury model has not yet been announced. In addition to the two model choices, the Tata Nano microsite offers a range of accessories that can be viewed from the car builder, including pin striping decals, a choice of air scoop for the rear-mounted engine, and alloy wheels.
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