1.   At the same time, the proposals make it easier for companies to fire workers if their finances are strained.

2.   Allowing companies to fire workers to cut bloated costs is crucial to helping them shore up their profits, government and business leaders say.

3.   Chinese President Jiang Zemin today called on state companies to fire workers and rely more on private capital to reverse decades of losses.

4.   Conversely, if the ongoing vote count shows HP shareholders have rejected the merger, financial pressures on Compaq would force it to fire workers anyway, Anderson said.

5.   Decisions to exit entire businesses may have to wait until the Korean government passes new laws making it easier for companies to fire workers.

6.   Currently, it is extremely difficult to fire workers in Italy, even in small or struggling companies.

7.   Foley said he expects fewer lawsuits from health care employees because employers will be reluctant to fire workers who are protected by a federal whistle-blower law.

8.   For one thing, the IMF demanded that Korea make it easier for companies to fire workers, and many companies are likely to go bankrupt.

9.   Gaining the right to fire workers is the main issue in government efforts to shake up bureaucracy and reduce spending.

10.   Heinz is expected to sell businesses, consolidate plants and fire workers, analysts said.