Furthermore, other unionised employees at Northwest refused to back the striking mechanics, perhaps sensing that it would hasten the airline's tail-spin into Chapter 11 and a full-scale restructuring that would see many more jobs go.

ECONOMIST: The sick cope best with labour pains | The

It is true that an appreciation might modestly and temporarily slow China's growth as the economy changes gear but, since China's exports contain lots of imported inputs, it is hard to see even a double-digit yuan appreciation sending exports into a tail-spin.

ECONOMIST: China should loosen its currency peg��and quickly