It's one of the biggest economic challenges at the moment: with the recession behind us, employment is improving, yet wages remain stubbornly low.

In America, median wages have been stagnant for more than 40 years. In Japan and Germany, it's been 20 years without a pay rise.
And it's a global problem - wage growth has been weak around the world for nearly a decade.
Four experts talk to the BBC World Service Inquiry programme about why wages are so low.
John Van Reenen is director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.
"Over the last seven or eight years, wage growth has been very disappointing all over the world. After the Second World War, times were really good.
"Ever since the global financial crisis wage growth, which was doing pretty well over the past 50-60 years - something like 2% a year - fell a lot in richer countries and also fell or stagnated in poorer countries.
"In Britain in particular, wages fell very dramatically - there was a [more than] 10% fall of real wages in the six years after 2008.
"That fall is really unprecedented. We have to go back to the 1920s before you see falls of real wages of anything like that order of magnitude.
"The countries which have been doing better - both before the crisis and afterwards - have been emerging economies.
"China, in particular, has done extraordinarily well. The growth of China since 1980 has led to enormous increases of people's real wages, and even after the crisis, that has continued albeit at a much slower pace than it was before.
"Other countries, including India for example, have also done relatively well."
Christian Dustmann is professor of economics at University College London.
"I remember when the Berlin Wall was falling. While there was a feeling of great happiness at the time, I think the economic consequences for all Germans were vastly underestimated.
"Germany after 1989 was in a very difficult situation.  It had to economically integrate East Germany, which was hidden behind the Iron Curtain for more than four decades and which, in terms of productivity, was about 60% of the level of West Germany.
"At the same time the possibility of people in East Germany to move freely around in the new unified Germany meant that wages had to adjust. So the gap between productivity and wages had to be more or less subsidised by the taxpayer. So the economic burden of that slowed Germany down for at least a decade.
"After the early 1990s, when most of the eastern European countries opened up to become market-based economies, German industry had the possibility to dislocate production into these countries where wages were much lower.
"The papers in the early 2000s were full of articles where yet another company was threatening to move production into eastern Europe, unless worker representatives would accommodate wage restraint and more flexible solutions regarding the workforce.
"So wages, in particular at the lower end of the distribution, actually started to decrease. At the median, wage growth was basically stagnant.
"Wage negotiations were decentralised from the level of the industry [and] region down to the level of the firm. That we believe has been partly responsible for the possibility of German industry to become more competitive.
"I believe the flexible response of the employers and unions played an important part to keep production in many of the core manufacturing sectors in the country, which allowed Germany to be more or less in full employment at the moment, compared to many of its European competitors, where a large part of manufacturing has actually been moving away.
"So wages may have suffered, but the jobs are still in the country, and I think that is far more important."
Machiko Osawa is professor of economics and director of the Research Institute for Women and Careers at Japan Women's University.
"The three pillars of Japanese employment are lifetime employment, seniority-based wage and also enterprise-based unions. These pillars are very important.
"The system began to change in the late 1990s. Globalisation was in progress and Japanese companies [began] looking for short-term profits.
"In order to increase profits, you need to reduce labour costs: replacing full-time by non-regular workers.
"So the corporation hires a temporary agency worker but he or she doesn't work for this company, so their employment is relatively insecure. The wage growth is very little, even though you work long years.
"This is a controversial issue. But because it is very difficult for Japanese workers to move to another company, they have to take whatever they are given by the company. So, as a result, Japanese workers do not have a strong bargaining position.
"Job security for regular workers has declined [a] little bit, and the wage growth of regular workers has also suffered.
"This is an international phenomenon because of globalisation and increased competition. I think it reduces full-time employment and increases [the number of] non-regular workers everywhere."
Jason Furman is chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors.
"[When] I walk into the Oval Office to tell the president the latest employment data, the question I get from him the most often is 'what's going on with wage growth?' That's an issue he wrestles with, throughout what he's doing in public policy, but really at a personal level.
"You go into a factory today, and you don't see many people. You see a lot of machines. The number of robots is increasing dramatically year after year. It's most concentrated in sectors like automobile production, but it's spreading throughout the economy.
"If you look over the last 25 years in the US and across the industrial countries, that's what you've seen. Innovations have complemented and enhanced the skills of skilled professionals, replaced jobs from people in the middle, but they haven't replaced the person working in the hospital tending to the patient.
"So, you've seen jobs at either end of the skill distribution growing, those in the middle dropping. And that's been going on for over a quarter of a century now.
"In the US, we produce about $16tn (£11tn) a year. The benefits of that are divided. A substantial portion of it, about $10tn (£7tn), is paid out to workers in wages and benefits, but then companies get profits.
"What we have seen is that portion of how much we make each year that goes to workers in the form of wages has gone down. The proportion going to businesses in the form of profits has gone up and that's just another way in which you just don't get wage increases commensurate with the type of economic growth.
"We've looked at data in the US for the last 100 years and found that when the share of workers in trade unions goes down, the share of income going to the bottom 90% of Americans also goes down and with trade union density at less than 10% right now, it shouldn't be a surprise that the share of income going to the bottom 90% of households, is at a near century-long low."
"There has also been a real change in the institutional dynamics that help shape the distribution of income; the decline of labour unions, the fall in the minimum wage adjusted for inflation, the increased concentration in a lot of industries, the increased number of super-successful companies.
"All of that has contributed to a tilting of income away from labour towards capital and towards managers and people that work for successful companies. And so tackling all of that is also an important part of dealing with inequality in wage growth."
The Inquiry is broadcast on the BBC World Service on Tuesdays from 12:05 GMT. Listen online or download the podcast.


Culling dairy cows could help solve problems within the industry, a Welsh farming leader has suggested.

Eifion Huws, chairman of the Farmers Union of Wales' (FUW) milk committee, told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme "extreme thinking" was needed to halt overproduction.
He added: "Perhaps it's time to bring back a cull for some of the cattle."
Meanwhile, supermarket Morrisons announced it will sell a new milk brand with 10p per litre paid to farmers.
It followed a meeting between the supermarket and representatives from the UK's four main farming unions - the National Farmers' Union, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers' Union, along with lobby group Farmers for Action.
Some farmers are being paid less than the cost of production, according to the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, Mr Huws added: "Many people may not like to hear us saying that but we're still overproducing, we're producing 40 pints a person extra compared to a year ago and this is one of the roots of the problem."


The attorney-general of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where five people were killed in a shooting in a club on Monday, says the target of the attack was a Mexican man.

The Blue Parrot club was hosting the closing night of an electronic music festival and was packed with music fans, many of them foreigners.
Among those who died were a Canadian, an Italian and a US citizen.
But the gunman was targeting a man from Veracruz, the attorney-general said.
"Suddenly a person enters the club through the main door and heads directly for this particular individual and shoots," Attorney-General Miguel Angel Pech told Mexican radio station Radio Formula.
BPM clubbers in Mexico were told shooting was fireworks
"This individual, who was Mexican, from [the state of] Veracruz. unfortunately loses his life."
Three of the people who were shot dead were members of the festival's security team, organisers said.
Mr Pech said they had tried to protect the man from Veracruz.
The fifth victim was a woman who died of injuries sustained in a fall during the chaos which followed the firing of the shots, when guests ran for the exits in panic.
Mr Pech had earlier said that among those killed were two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian. But in a subsequent news conference he corrected this to say the victims were one Canadian, an Italian, a US citizen and two Mexicans.
Fifteen people were injured.
Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge said the gunman and the victim from Veracruz had "a personal conflict".
Four people have been detained.
The club was hosting the closing night of the BPM festival, a popular event which attracts thousands of electronic and dance music fans from around the world.


England Test captain Alastair Cook was dismissed for just three on his return to first-class cricket playing for the MCC against Yorkshire in Abu Dhabi.

The 30-year-old was trapped lbw by former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom in the third over of the four-day game.
James Hildreth made 89 in the MCC's 221, with Yorkshire closing on 82-2.
It is Cook's first match since the one-day series in Sri Lanka, after which he was dropped and replaced as ODI captain, missing the World Cup.
The Essex batsmen has claimed England's poor showing at the tournament - which they exited at the pool stage having won just two of their six matches - proved the selectors were wrong to replace him with Eoin Morgan and omit him from the squad.
Cook has been named as captain for England's three-Test tour of the West Indies, which gets under way on 6 April.
He began his season, which also sees the visit of Australia in the summer, by playing for the MCC in a Twenty20 match against Sussex on Friday, top scoring with a 26-ball 35 in a 19-run defeat.
However, in the traditional County Championship season curtain raiser, his wicket left the MCC wobbling on 7-2 after skipper Nick Compton had edged the first ball of the match from Sidebottom behind to Jonny Bairstow.
Cook's former England opening partner Michael Carberry steadied the innings with a composed 36 before James Hildreth (89) and Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell (54) shared a stand of 79 as they threatened to take the game away from Yorkshire.
But Hildreth's 118-ball knock was ended by Tim Bresnan, who trapped him lbw, and wickets began to tumble as only Zafar Ansari showed any resistance with 24 not out as MCC collapsed from 160-3 to 221 all out.
Yorkshire then reached 82-2 at stumps with Adam Lyth unbeaten on 53.


Manchester United have re-signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a one-year contract.

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The 35-year-old former Sweden striker made 46 appearances and scored 28 goals for United last season.
Ibrahimovic was released by the club in June after his season was ended prematurely by a knee injury, but he is expected to be fit again in December.
"After his contribution last season he deserves our trust and we will be patient waiting for him to return," said manager Jose Mourinho.
I have been working hard and will continue to do so to make sure I am in the best possible condition for my return to the pitch
Ibrahimovic, who initially joined the Red Devils on free transfer in July 2016, had been recuperating at United's training ground after knee surgery.
Mourinho added: "We are delighted Zlatan is on the road to recovery and we are equally delighted to have his ambition and experience back with us.
"I have no doubt that he will be important in the second part of the season."
Two Los Angeles-based Major League Soccer clubs, LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, were both interested in signing the striker this summer.
However, Ibrahimovic said: "It was always mine and the club's intention for me to stay."
He added: "I cannot wait to get back out on that Old Trafford pitch, but I also know that I have to take my time to make sure that I am ready.
"I have been working hard and will continue to do so to make sure I am in the best possible condition for my return to the pitch."
Ibrahimovic made his debut for hometown club Malmo in 1999 and went on to play for Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and PSG. He has won a trophy in every season since 2001, including 13 league titles.
He retired from international football after Sweden's exit from Euro 2016, having scored 62 goals in 116 appearances.
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Ibrahimovic said he turned down offers from "a couple of teams who wanted 'Ibra-kadabra'" but chose to rejoin United because "we had such a great year" last season.
"I come back to finish what I started," he told ESPN.
"There is a big chance of me going to the MLS. There were some talks but I am not done yet with what I started, which is why I am going back to Man Utd."
On his continuing rehabilitation from knee injury, Ibrahimovic added: "I am not done yet. I will decide when I am done. Lions don't recover like humans.
"When I come back I don't want to be something I wasn't. I want to be the one I was and even better. So it means I have to train even harder.
"In the beginning when it happened, it was something new for me because it was a big injury, this is the first major injury and was a different situation because I've been playing 15-20 years.
"But I feel good. I am strong."
Ibrahimovic said he also believes the United squad has been significantly strengthened by this summer's new arrivals.
"I am happy Romelu Lukaku came. We are stronger than we were last year. He has different qualities from me and [Marcus] Rashford.
"Lukaku called me and said 'bro, can I have the number nine?' I said I was not going to make it difficult for him - but I was going to take the number 10. I never left. I just upgraded my number.
"The signing of [Nemanja] Matic is big. He brings a stability to the team that the team didn't have last year. He is the important one."
Ajax: Eredivisie (2001-02, 2003-04), Dutch Cup (2002) Dutch Super Cup (2003)
Juventus: Serie A (2004-05, 2005-06) *Juve later stripped of titles
Inter: Serie A (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09) Italian Super Cup (2006, 2008)
Barcelona: La Liga (2009-10), Spanish Super Cup (2009, 2010), Uefa Super Cup (2009), Fifa Club World Cup (2009)
AC Milan: Serie A (2010-11) Italian Super Cup (2011)
PSG: Ligue 1 (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16), French Cup (2015, 2016), League Cup (2014, 2015, 2016) French Super Cup (2013, 2014, 2015)
Man Utd: Community Shield (2016), League Cup (2016-17), Europa League (2016-17)
BBC Sport's Simon Stone
Until the point at which he ruptured his cruciate ligament at the end of April, it seemed certain Ibrahimovic would stay at United for a second season.
In the five weeks between Ibrahimovic injuring himself in a Europa League tie with Anderlecht and the Premier League's retained list being published, it seems a decision was made, in principle, that the 35-year-old would stay if his recovery went well.
United allowed Ibrahimovic to use their medical facilities for his rehabilitation.
During their pre-season tour of the United States, midfielder Paul Pogba said the striker had been the same presence in the dressing room as he had been all along.
All the club and player needed to do was be sure the recovery was going well.
It obviously is, even if talk of a return to action next month is overestimating even Ibrahimovic's powers of recovery.
Mourinho is looking at the second half of the season, and it is understood a reduced contract reflects the fact Ibrahimovic cannot yet play.
There is a question over how the striker can play in the same team as Romelu Lukaku, but that answer is not required for a while yet.
With Wayne Rooney gone, Ibrahimovic has the prestigious number 10 shirt to replace the number nine that has gone to Lukaku.
And Ibrahimovic being the man he is, we are bound to see plenty of him before he makes that eagerly awaited first-team return.


Banking giant HSBC, which was hit with a US fine for money laundering last year, is facing fresh accusations of illegal activity in Argentina.

Argentina has alleged that the bank used "fake receipts" to facilitate money laundering and tax evasion, and launder 392m pesos ($77m; Â£50m).
The country's tax authority said it had filed criminal charges against HSBC.
HSBC said that it would cooperate with the investigation, adding that the allegations were "of great concern".
"We are committed to working cooperatively with authorities to ensure a thorough review and appropriate resolution of the matter," said Lyssette Bravo, a spokeswoman for HSBC.
Last year, HSBC agreed to pay US authorities $1.9bn (Â£1.2bn) in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case.
Argentina laid out its case against HSBC late on Monday.
"On the basis of what's been investigated so far, in six months we've recorded 392 million pesos in fraudulent transactions, generated by evasion and money laundering," said Ricardo Echegaray, head of Argentina's tax agency.
Mr Echegaray added that HSBC also helped clients evade taxes on an additional 224m pesos.
"We hope to recover what is due and see the courts apply an appropriate penalty," he said.
Money laundering is the process of disguising the proceeds of crime so that the money cannot be linked to the wrongdoing.
HSBC, which has previously admitted to having poor money laundering controls, has been taking steps to tighten its operations.
Last year, it said that it had spent $290m on improving its systems to prevent money laundering.
At the same time, it also appointed a former US official, Bob Werner, to work as its head of financial crime compliance, a new position the bank has created.
The bank said that he will be responsible for beefing up its anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance systems.
Mr Werner was previously the head of the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency responsible for enforcing the US sanctions on countries, including Iran.


A teachers' union is warning that schools are increasingly likely to use unqualified teaching staff.

"Parents no longer have the certainty when they send their child to school that they will be taught by qualified teachers," says NASUWT leader Chris Keates.
Labour's Tristram Hunt says "this is nothing less than a scandal".
But the Conservatives say there are fewer teachers in school without qualified status than in 2010.
The NASUWT teachers' union, holding its annual conference in Cardiff, will hear claims that more teachers without qualified teacher status are being used in schools.
The union has asked its members about their experiences. Among the 4,600 who responded 61% said they were "working alongside unqualified staff",  with 66% claiming the situation was "deteriorating" because of funding problems.
"This is jeopardising the educational progress of children," said Ms Keates who attacked the use of unqualified staff as a "crude cost-cutting measure".
Teachers responding to the union's survey included comments such as: "They lack any training in classroom management and discipline" and "I feel that parents are being misled by the quality of teaching within the school."
The use of unqualified teachers has become a general election issue.
Labour has campaigned against allowing academies and free schools to employ teachers who do not have qualified teacher status or who are training towards being qualified.
"The rising number of unqualified teachers in our schools shows yet again that the Tory plan is threatening standards and failing children and working families," said shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt.
"David Cameron has removed the requirement for teachers to be qualified, and as a result over 400,000 children are now being taught by unqualified teachers without receiving training in skills vital to the profession such as classroom discipline, safeguarding and how to deliver effective teaching for all children."
The Liberal Democrats also want to require teachers to have qualified status.
But both Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives say there were more unqualified teachers in schools when Labour were in power. They reject the suggestion that the use of unqualified teachers is increasing.
A Conservative party spokesman said: "The number of teachers without qualified status has gone down since 2010. And we need to keep this in perspective - only 3.7% of teachers are 'unqualified'.
"But most importantly, we've given head teachers more freedom over the teachers they employ because we trust them to know what is best for their schools.
"There are some brilliant teachers who have not got qualified teacher status - nuns, great linguists, computer scientists, engineers and other specialists that inspire their pupils. They may have worked in the independent sector or have experience in the outside world."
A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said they would "change the law to guarantee a qualified teacher in every classroom".
"Teaching must be recognised as the vitally important and high status profession that it is, able to attract and retain the very best people."
"It is good news that there are now fewer unqualified teachers working in schools than under the previous Labour government.  However, every child deserves to be taught by a qualified teacher, regardless of what type of school they attend."
The most recent Department for Education figures available, for 2013, show the number of unqualified teachers rose compared with the previous year, from 14,800 to 17,100, but is lower than in 2010, when there were 17,800 of teachers without qualified teacher status.
However for academies, the proportion of unqualified teachers has risen each year since 2010, from 2,200 to 7,900.


The Conservatives retained control of Suffolk County Council, increasing its number of seats from 37 to 52.

While it was a good day for the Tories, Labour saw its number of councillors fall from 15 to 11, and UKIP lost all of its 10 seats.
The Green Party lost the seat of its leader, Mark Ereira Guyer, but did win three elsewhere - building on the two it had previously.
There are five Liberal Democrat councillors and four independents.
The gain for the Conservatives means they now have a majority at the council, having previously been one short.
Suffolk County Council said 247,073 people voted in the election, a 44.19% turnout.
Colin Noble, leader of Suffolk County Council going into the election, retained his seat in Row Heath and said he was "absolutely delighted" with the results.
"We're really pleased because at the end of the day we've got a strong manifesto, we're brimming full of ideas and now what we know is we get to implement them over the next four years," he said.
The story in Suffolk mirrors what's happened nationally. The UKIP vote has been wiped out - they had 10 councillors, now they have none.
The Conservatives will have control at Suffolk County Council - they only needed more than 37 councillors, but managed to get 52.
Labour managed to hold most of its Ipswich seats but lost its deputy leader, Sarah Adams. It also suffered losses in Waveney, where it only kept one of its five divisions. There was some good news for Labour, though, as it won the seat of Sudbury - gaining it from the Conservatives. It brings the total number of Labour councillors to 11, but it did have 15.
The Liberal Democrats were hoping for a resurgence, but failed to hold all their seats - they had eight, they now have five. They lost out to the Conservatives and didn't manage to hold on to Hadleigh, which they gained in a by-election last year.
There were some surprises. The Greens took two seats from the Conservatives, one in Beccles and the other in Cosford near Sudbury. But the party's leader, Mark Ereira Guyer, lost his Bury St Edmunds seat, meaning overall it gained one seat - and now has three councillors.
Another unexpected result was the success of the independents. They all held their seats, and the West Suffolk Independent gained its first county council seat in Brandon.
But despite the smaller opposition parties making gains, it'll make little difference as the Conservative group now has the numbers to ensure its policies will get voted through.


A Brazilian court has ordered the two firms behind the Samarco mine to pay an initial $350m to help clean up the country's worst environmental disaster.

The collapse of a dam last November, containing contaminated water and mud at the iron ore mine, killed 17 people.
The payment by BHP Billiton and Vale is to fund initial work, and the firms now have six months to present plans to clean up the remaining waste.
Last month, prosecutors filed homicide charges against 21 people.
They include several Brazilians, two Americans, a South African, an Australian, a Briton and a French man.
The accused were employed at the time by the companies involved - Brazil's Samarco and Vale, and London-listed BHP Billiton.
According to the lead prosecutor in the case, the companies were aware there was a risk of collapse but ignored it.
The companies rejected the charges and said they would defend their staff.
Before the case can go to trial, the charges need to be approved by a judge.


Pembrokeshire council has appointed a new chief executive after months of controversy.

The council's head of paid service, Ian Westley, replaces Bryn Parry-Jones who quit last October after a £277,000 severance deal was agreed.
It followed a row over cash payments in lieu of pension contributions which the Wales Audit Office said were unlawful.
He had been Wales's highest paid council chief, earning almost £200,000. His successor will be paid £130,000.
It also emerged the council had been leasing a Porsche sports car for Mr Parry-Jones at the cost of £2,368 a month.
The former chief executive had used "underspend" from his car leasing deal in previous years towards the lease for the car.
The council paid £8,600 to cancel the contract for the Porsche Panamera when he left his post.


At Cirque du Soleil's cavernous headquarters, located on the outskirts of Montreal near a landfill, unassuming office buildings do a good job of masking the, well, circus within.

But walk through the front door and the first piece of advice visitors are given is: "Don't try this at home."
It's hard to isolate just what one shouldn't attempt to do - jump from on the trampoline disguised as a bed, dive from a trapeze into a pit of foam cubes, transform a ballet slipper into a stiletto, or weave more than 150km (93 miles) of fabric into costumes capable of surviving water and fire.
At almost every turn, more than 2,000 of the firm's 5,000 global employees are engaged in the choreography, costume design, and acrobatics that have helped Cirque du Soleil become a global circus phenomenon.
With 19 touring and resident performances around the globe, in places like Las Vegas and Tokyo, the company takes in more than $1bn (Â£600m) annually.
But make no mistake: while the clowns might be driving the car, it's canny businessmen who are running the show.
"If you have a very good artistic product it's very well, but you have to have a good business management," says Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the company's co-founders and its current artistic director.
It all started in 1984, in the tiny Quebec City suburb of Baie-Saint-Paul, when a group of stilt-walkers and street performers formed a performance troupe called the Le Club des Talons Hauts (the High Heels Club).
After some local success, the group's founder, Guy Laliberte lobbied to have the group choreograph and perform at a celebration, called "Cirque du Soleil" (circus of the sun) marking the 450th anniversary of the European discovery of Canada by Jacques Cartier in 1534 - who claimed the land for France.
To raise money, Mr Laliberte convinced his partner, Mr Ste-Croix, to walk 56 miles in stilts.
"Every time I go up big hills I remember that night and I think, 'How crazy were you?'" says Mr Ste-Croix, who adds that perhaps his craziest thought was not thinking that this small troupe could end up this far.
After the success of that anniversary show, they decided to rechristen themselves Cirque du Soleil. The troupe quickly found fans eager to pay money to see its blend of acrobatics and art.
One crucial factor that helped it succeed was that Cirque du Soleil did away with the animals normally associated with circuses like Barnum and Bailey's or the Ringling Brothers. Instead, it focused on acrobatics in one big tent.
"Now the merging of acrobatics with the different form of arts is very common, but when we started, we were almost alone out there in our style," says Mr Ste-Croix.
Another crucial decision was to add permanent shows to the company's roster of touring productions.
In 1993, Mr Laliberte partnered with Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn to create a permanent show called Mystere at Mr Wynn's Mirage Resort, and in 1998, the show La Nouba was inaugurated at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.
Finally, Canada's lack of a circus culture gave the company room to experiment and explore.
To help build the brand in Europe, the company first went on tour with Switzerland's Circus Knie and staged shows throughout the region.  In 1995, it sought to further open the market with a five city tour of its show Saltimbanco under a big white tent.
Each Cirque du Soleil show costs about $25m to develop and takes about two years.
A creator is brought in to think of an inspiration for a show - anything from martial arts to Michael Jackson.
After the show's basic story is created, about 200 extra employees are then hired.
Casts are made of each performer's head using a 3D printer, so costume designers can design bespoke outfits.
Wrestling shoes - the preferred footwear of the company's acrobats - are made in house by cobblers.
And then, about six months before opening night, performers come into the headquarters and begin to put it all together.
"It's a pretty big operation to tour a show in a big top - it demands a lot of investment, it's very costly, and you have to have a good following to make it," says Mr Ste-Croix.
"You don't start an operation like this from nothing."
The company also found success early on in Japan in 1992, which gave it a crucial entry into Asian markets.
Today, "we are the cherished kids of Canada," says Mr Ste-Croix, while noting that a majority of the company's revenues are generated outside the country.
But with success has also come some hard lessons.
This year, the company suffered its first tragedy, when an acrobat in one of its Las Vegas shows fell to her death. It was later fined by US regulators for unsafe working conditions.
And, the company's two decade streak of never having a flop ended when chief executive officer Daniel Lamarre announced a plan to triple the company's output from one show a year to three in 2008. This led to what many felt was a decline in quality.
"The idea is to polish each show like a the jewel until it becomes a diamond and lasts forever - we lost some of that in that growth," admits Mr Ste-Croix.
For the first time ever, the company had to cancel shows and earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil announced it would lay off 400 workers.
"We like to think there has to be a 75% satisfaction and below that we don't think it's worth it," says Mr Ste-Croix.
"Of course we can hold on and make the return and the money and everything, but at the end of everything you know we only have our brand."
Now, the company says it has renewed focus on its core offering - its performances.
It has found a hit in its Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, which has helped soften some of the financial pressures.
And it has begun focusing on China, an increasingly important market.
"I've seen shows in different places in China and met the artistic director, who has seen all of our shows in Vegas and they are very proud to copy us. They say it's an homage that we pay to you," says Mr Ste-Croix.
"We have to penetrate that market in order to be the original product."
But above all else, he insists the company is still only as good as its last show, whether it's in Montreal or Beijing.
"We must not be too pretentious - we have to be humble," he says.


League One side Southend United have signed former Reading striker Simon Cox on a two-year contract.

Cox, 29, was released this summer after scoring nine goals in 60 games in his second spell at the Royals.
The ex-Nottingham Forest, West Brom and Swindon man, capped 30 times by the Republic of Ireland, has found the net 78 times in 296 career league matches.
Shrimpers boss Phil Brown said he hoped Cox would make up the goals lost from Jack Payne's move to Huddersfield.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Labour has called for an investigation into whether there was a conflict of interest in the way ministers handled contacts with Surrey County Council.

It claims the Tory authority, which was planning a 15% council tax hike, was given special access to the top levels of government in a "sweetheart deal".
The rise, which was to deal with its social care funding shortage, was then dropped in favour of a 4.99% increase.
A government spokesman has denied there was any "special deal" for the council.
Documents released by the government, and similar records released by the council, detailing behind-the-scenes discussions indicated ministers were offering "some extra funding" from 2018 shortly before the council abandoned the proposed 15% rise, which would have sparked a referendum in Surrey.
The BBC also obtained a leaked recording of council leader David Hodge saying he had struck a deal with the government.
Labour's shadow social care minister Barbara Keeley has now written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood asking him to look at whether "the ministerial code had been broken".
"There was an incredibly high and unusual degree of contact between Surrey County Council, particularly the leader, and government ministers," she said.
"And the government ministers in the case of Surrey include the chancellor and the health secretary.
"This degree of contact that is indicated in all these documents and the tape is very unusual - most council leaders can't even get the time of day with cabinet ministers," she said.
"Why did the leader of Surrey County Council get continual access to meetings with the chancellor and the communities secretary to discuss his council's funding problems while council leaders from Salford and Hull cannot get such meetings?" Ms Keeley asked.
She said she was also asking Sir Jeremy to look at the fact that the council has "the biggest increase in share of [social care] funding over the next three years" as announced in last week's Budget.
A government spokesman said: "As we have repeatedly made clear, there was no special deal for Surrey County Council and they will not receive any extra funding that would not otherwise be provided or offered to other councils.
"To imply the opposite is simply untrue."


A woman from Bristol has received a letter sent to her nearly 25 years ago.

Sally Waters, who still lives in the same house in St Andrew's, said the letter was dated 27 August 1991 and contained a receipt for a deposit from the Cliffden Hotel in Teignmouth.
The sealed envelope came in a plastic bag with a sticker which said "we're sorry this item has been delayed in the post".
Royal Mail was unable to say for certain why the letter arrived so late.
A spokesman said it had probably been put back into the postal system by someone, rather than being "lost in the post".
Ms Waters said she was not upset at the late delivery as it did not stop her going on the holiday she was planning for, in 1992.
She wondered if the letter "fell behind a shelf and got mislaid" and said she was "quite amused" by the matter.
"Somebody said I ought to frame it," she added.


Duncan Scott became the first British man to swim under 48 seconds in the 100m freestyle as he broke his own national record to win gold at the British Swimming Championships.

Scott triumphed in a time of 47.90 seconds and booked his place at this summer's World Championships along with Max Litchfield, who also broke a British record to win gold in the 400m individual medley.
Charlotte Atkinson clinched gold in the women's 200m butterfly, adding to the 50m title she won on Wednesday.
Litchfield clinched his spot at the Worlds by finishing in an automatic qualifying time of four minutes 10.63 seconds.
Atkinson, who comes from the Isle of Man, secured a consideration mark of two minutes 7.06secs for the summer championships.
Commonwealth bronze medallist Dan Jervis also achieved a consideration time on the way to an emphatic victory in the 1500m freestyle, finishing in 14 minutes 51.48secs.
The Welsh swimmer, who works as a painter and decorator to fund his training, described the victory as "amazing".
In Thursday's other final, Anna Hopkin won the 50m freestyle in a time of 25.07secs, which was outside of the consideration time.


Top marks to Theresa May for pulling off the trick of appearing, for three months at least, briskly self-confident and robustly in charge.

Now it is starting to get difficult.
If she was seen initially as the new Iron Lady, her feet may prove to be made of flimsy tin.
Heathrow exposes the new reality. The government has finally made a decision, long delayed because of internal party opposition. The compromise is that disarray becomes the new unity.
Cabinet ministers can vigorously campaign against it for at least a year. The foreign secretary will do so and  there's been one resignation which will force a by-election.
Remember, the government has a majority of a slender, but not so sweet, 16.
While ministers have in the past been allowed leeway on matters of conscience - moral issues that touch on faith and deeply held ethical positions - I can't recall it ever being allowed over a key economic decision. Oh, apart from leaving the European Union.
And of course it all goes back to that referendum.
Like Mr Cameron's decision to allow a free-for-all, Mrs May's dispensation to her cabinet springs not from an innate sense of liberalism, but the hard reality of party management.
He could not enforce discipline on a huge issue that split his party and the country. She cannot manage it over a third runway for London. They allow 100 flowers to bloom because they lack the authority necessary for vigorous weeding.
Underneath the current prime minister's determined sense of purpose, her repeated insistence on respecting the will of the British people, there is perhaps a sense of insecurity. Certainly, beneath the surface rolls a chaotic uncertainty and tensions which flow from the nature of her rise to power.
This does not mean she will not pull it off, but her task is much less certain, much more daunting, than many cheerleaders wish to acknowledge, or the polls suggest.
Brexit blew apart not only the government but its world view. The personal drama of the Palace of Westminster coup helped disguise the profundity of the ideological revolution.
Out went Cameron and Osborne and with them a certain brand of conservatism.
The importance of this has been smothered because it doesn't fit old labels. It's not wet v dry, left v right, not even Leave v Remain. It is amorphous, hard to define. The new government and the old one, which people voted for, both claim the mantle of One Nation Conservatism. But the way they see that nation is very different.
It is easy to point to policy differences -. over the Northern Powerhouse, China and grammar schools but it is harder to get to the heart of what distinguishes Mrs May's conservatism from Mr Cameron's.
In essence it is about an economically and a metropolitan socially-relaxed liberalism, the old ruling elite in open-necked shirts and chinos, versus a more authoritarian, petit bourgeois populism which believes in a bigger economic role for the guiding hand of the State.
It is a firm rejection of the views of 48% of voters - who have been told, in effect, that they do not matter and should shut up. Mrs May is desperate to deliver a broad message from the referendum - and, not surprisingly, she finds that the loud shout of 52% of voters was an echo of her own deeply held beliefs.
Opinion polls suggest the voters agree - the results of the Witney by-election do not. People on social media have suggested if Labour's majority had been cut by a similar amount we would never hear the end of the threat to Mr Corbyn. Mrs May is not subjected to such pressure - yet.
In revolutions, heads roll, because it is dangerous to leave your opponents alive. But Mrs May's expulsion of George Osborne from the cabinet and the exiling of most of his allies falls short of political execution. They have not gone away, you know.
Mr Osborne spent years spreading tendrils throughout the Conservative Party. Removing his patronage and power does not rip them out overnight. The master tactician has suffered a devastating defeat but that does not make him a fool - he is still one of the cleverest people in politics, sinuous and determined.
These tensions over the direction of the party and the country are very real, for all that there is no neat way of describing them. That they are also bound up with personal pique and thwarted ambition, make them very dangerous for a government with such a slender majority.
But you can't get away from it. The most dangerous tensions are over Brexit. They are so hazardous that Mrs May is reluctant to allow MPs too much of a say. It is understandable - the differences within her cabinet are worrying enough on their own.
The relationship between No 10 and No 11 is critical in all governments. The distrust between chancellor and prime minister undermined both Mrs Thatcher and Tony Blair. Messrs Cameron and Osborne learnt the lessons but the very strength of their double act excluded others and helped create Mrs May's mood.
Now prime minister and chancellor are apparently divided on the fundamental choice before the government - is the emphasis in Brexit in controlling immigration or the best possible access to the European market?
So, a bare 15 weeks after appointing him, Mrs May has had to express, in that deathly phrase, "full confidence" in Phillip Hammond. This followed newspaper stories that he was on the brink of resignation. This speaks volumes.
Remember that, while the cabinet are "are all Brexiters now", these two both backed Remain. Perhaps that was for tactical reasons of internal party political advantage but, if we assume a degree of integrity, then they are implementing what is in their view Plan B, doing something they warned would be difficult and dangerous.
Don't let their harsh dismissal of those who, like them, backed Remain, disguise this. It is little wonder they are at loggerheads pondering the pitfalls of making the best of a bad job.
In this they are at least united, ranged against those, like Liam Fox and David Davis, who have no doubts. Ironically, their instincts in some areas may be closer to Mr Cameron's view than Mrs May's.
For years they have thought about the details of leaving, and have solid plans, which may not accord with the prime minister's enigmatic approach to negotiations.
These are the obvious fault lines for a fragile government. It does not mean that there are not others, arguably far more important.
Any government of any colour, without an instruction to leave the European Union, would still be facing some immense challenges.
The crisis an aging population is causing in pensions and social care, the ever-rising cost, and demand for the services, of the NHS, the problems of productivity and inequality and environmental change.
There are also those wonderful opportunities and hideous dangers produced by advances in Artificial Intelligence and gene editing, which politicians hardly talk about, let alone face with coherent alternative policies.
All of these may see politicians ranged along battle lines that are very different to the trenches of the past.
It is easy for those us trained in the ways of Westminster to see this as an acute headache for the whips.
But in truth, such odd and intricate fissures in the body politic is a problem for all of us, when the deeply ingrained instinct is to put problems of party management ahead of the national interest.


Years are like city crowds:  for the most part they push their way past you in the street without leaving any real impression.

A few, though, imprint themselves heavily on your consciousness, and on history.
2014 was just such a year.  Its events jolted us out of our lazy assurance that things will carry on pretty much as usual.
Here are some of them.
On the night of 21 February the violent clashes in Ukraine between the pro-Russian government of President Yanukovych and demonstrators in the streets who wanted Ukraine to join the European Union and Nato reached a climax
The demonstrators in the Maidan, Kiev's central square, threatened to take up arms against the government. The riot police withdrew, and President Yanukovych fled to Russia
A right-wing coup d'etat or a popular revolution? The Russians, the Europeans and Americans naturally disagreed
Soon, the Crimean peninsular was blocked off by soldiers who wore Russian uniforms, but claimed to be local volunteers.
Crimea, which had always seemed like a detached part of Russia anyway, voted (genuinely) to join the Russian Federation. Russia was overjoyed.
In eastern Ukraine, there was outright civil war, with Russian forces taking part under various guises.
An Malaysian Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed after being hit by a Russian-made missile as it flew through Ukrainian airspace.  The 298 entirely innocent people on board died.
These things were unprecedented in Europe, and the US, the EU and various other countries and international organisations started imposing sanctions on Russia to punish it.
Increasingly damaged economically, Russia became more strident in its defiance of the West. It was the start of a second, though milder and less dangerous, Cold War.
But 2014 still had its chief shock in store.
On the night of 9-10 June a motorised column of 1,300 not very well trained religious extremists charged into one of Iraq's biggest cities, Mosul, and captured it.
People across the world suddenly became aware of the black flag of Islamic State (IS).  An  extraordinary force had been unleashed in Iraq as well as Syria, and threatened to spread across entire sections of the Muslim world.
The Iraqi army, and particularly its officers, simply ran for it.  The next day the black flag was flying over the city of Tikrit as well. IS seemed set to capture Baghdad itself.
But Baghdad stood firm. IS went on to capture headlines rather than towns and cities, carrying out a series of disgusting murders of defenceless prisoners, skilfully filmed and set to music.
Gradually, the opponents of IS pulled themselves together. The highly sectarian government in Iraq changed.  An unlikely, unspoken coalition of Western countries, Iraqi Kurds and Iran joined Syria in fighting IS.
Now, no one seriously thinks the black flag will fly over the entire region;  but IS is influencing and attracting extremists in countries from Pakistan to Libya, and in Nigeria the crazy-seeming Boko Haram movement is copying its worst features.
There were moments in 2014 when it looked as though the world might succumb to another pandemic: this time Ebola.
In fact it was never really on the cards, partly because the world's medical resources were too strong, and partly because the disease itself didn't quite lend itself to that kind of spread.
Still, it terrified a lot of people;  and as always in these circumstances governments and individuals didn't always behave wisely or decently.
It was a year of turnarounds. Britain and the US, having apparently pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan, found themselves sending soldiers back there to shore up the local forces.
Separatist feelings grew in Europe, whether in Scotland or Spain, or expressed as a dislike of the European Union itself.
In Hong Kong, the desire to keep a separate identity has goaded China into a new sternness, while President Xi Jinping has continued to show a steely determination to assert his control over the Communist Party.
As 2014 fades, some of the big world issues seem to be reflected in the streets. Deranged characters from Sydney to Dijon and Tours have attacked people in the name of Islam. Racist assaults on Muslims have increased.
In Britain, policemen and politicians alike worry that terrorist attacks are inevitable. In the US, trust in the police has been severely shaken by a series of deaths of black people at the hands of individual policemen.
Time magazine has decreed that 2014 was the year of the selfie. Maybe.
To me it seems it was the year of nervousness and instability. The real selfie of 2014 was self-doubt.


What is the one thing you care most about that our politicians could - and should - be sorting out?

Living, earning, studying, playing, buying, travelling, staying, leaving - Westminster has powers over it all.
And on 8 June voters will choose who they want to represent them in parliament and, ultimately, run the UK.
Before that though we want your guidance and for your specific views to shape a live and interactive debate show we're producing for Facebook.
Using the form below please tell us what the most important issue is to you. Maybe you want more police or hospital staff employed, more reassurance about life post-Brexit, or less tax to pay and less confusion over immigration.
Send a message to those in power by highlighting your concerns and your questions about your future.
If you would like to be considered for a place in the studio audience, please make sure you include your contact details and whether or not you have already decided who you are voting for.
On Tuesday 6 June, at 19:00, we're live-streaming an interactive show to explore your submitted political concerns.
We will be hearing from voters across the South and you will be invited to interact with the studio presenter and live audience via social media.
Young adults across Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight, either via social media or in the studio audience.
Via our Facebook accounts for:


The BBC is seeking a future star of African journalism for the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award, now in its third year.

Journalists from across the continent are invited to apply for the award, which aims to uncover and promote fresh talent from Africa.
The winner will spend three months at the BBC headquarters in London, gaining skills and experience.
Applications close on 15th March 2017 at 23:59 GMT.
The award was established to honour Komla Dumor, an exceptional Ghanaian broadcaster and presenter for BBC World News, who died suddenly aged 41 in 2014.
It will be made to an outstanding individual living and working in Africa, who combines strong journalism skills, on-air flair, and an exceptional talent in telling African stories with the ambition and potential to become a star of the future.
As well as spending time with the BBC in London, the winner will also get to travel to Africa to report a story - and have that story shared across the continent and the world.
Nancy Kacungira, who worked as a prime time news presenter for KTN in Kenya, won the award in 2015.
Didi Akinyelure, a Nigerian journalist who started out as an investment banker, was the 2016 winner.
During her placement, Ms Akinyelure went to the Ivory Coast to investigate new opportunities for the local chocolate manufacturing industry.
"It has been completely life-changing for me," she says of her experience at the BBC.
"You get intensive training in journalism - everything from presenting, to editing, to writing, to telling the story, to understanding BBC ethics.
"Whatever it is that you have may be what the BBC is looking for. So you need to take this opportunity and seriously, apply."
She is in Blantyre to launch the 2017 prize, along with Francesca Unsworth, the director of the BBC World Service.
Ms Unsworth has reiterated the commitment of the BBC to continuing Komla Dumor's legacy: "We have already awarded and hosted two exceptionally talented journalists, who were given the opportunity to train with us and report from Africa for our audiences across the BBC.
"It has been a pleasure getting to know both Nancy and Didi. It has also been great to learn from both our award winners, improving our engagement with local audiences.
"We're looking forward to finding the next rising star in African journalism and welcoming them as the next BBC World News Komla Dumor Award winner."
Applications will be considered by an expert panel: Rachael Akidi from the BBC's Focus on Africa programme; Paul Royall, who is the editor of the prominent BBC UK TV programmes, the Six and Ten O'Clock News; and Khadija Patel, editor-in-chief of South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper.
Ms Patel spoke of her motivation for joining the award panel:  "Komla's work touched so many of us.
"He was loved by those who knew him, but he was also respected by so many more. His work remains testimony to the strength of African journalism and I'm delighted to be able to honour his memory."


An official inquest says the explosion that killed 37 people in January at the headquarters of state oil firm Pemex, in Mexico City, was caused by a mix of methane gas and solvent vapours.

The gas build-up in the basement rose from the soil and combined with the vapour of solvents used in maintenance.
The initial spark was caused by an electrical or mechanical source, experts say.
They also blamed faulty building design for the basement's poor ventilation.
The methane is believed to have come up from the soil underneath.
"[The gas came] either from oil spills by the Huasteca Petroleum Company, which occupied the site until the 1930s, or from the gas storage warehouse from Mexico City's administration, a building which also was located there," the report reads.
The experts say the methane would not have built up in the basement if the building had had proper ventilation.
Several lower floors collapsed in the blast, injuring more than 100 people.
Many were trapped in rubble at the base of the 54-storey tower after the explosion, that happened as shifts were changing in the afternoon.
After six months of investigation, experts found objects which could have sparked the blast: a light cable extension, a lamp and a plug.
Pemex has experienced a number of fatal accidents in recent years.
Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto is expected to propose a shake-up of Pemex in his energy bill.
The reform is expected to be presented to the Mexican Congress next week.


The government has sold more shares in Lloyds, raising about £586m and taking its stake in the bank to below 21%.

The government originally owned a 41% stake after ploughing £20bn into the bank during the 2008 financial crisis.
It started selling Lloyds shares in 2013, and the latest sale means it has now raised more than £8bn.
Last weekend, David Cameron said the Conservatives would offer up to £4bn of Lloyds shares to private investors if he won the general election.
The prime minister said it would "help us recover billions more to pay down the national debt". The Labour party said the Tories had announced the plans several times before.
In the latest sale, the government sold 742 million shares which, at Thursday's closing price, would have raised £586m for the Treasury. The actual total may be slightly lower as the government would have sold its shares throughout the day, during which Lloyds shares rose steadily in the afternoon to hit a closing high of 78.99 pence.
The sale means the government's shareholding has been reduced by another 1%, and is now down to 20.95%.
"Today's announcement shows the further progress made in returning Lloyds Banking Group to full private ownership and enabling the taxpayer to get their money back," a statement from Lloyds said.
"This reflects the hard work undertaken over the last four years to transform the group into a simple, low-risk and customer-focused bank that is committed to helping Britain prosper."


Sunderland striker Danny Graham has donated £2,690 to help fund an operation that could save the career of a non-league footballer.

Gateshead midfielder JJ O'Donnell, 23, is suffering from Sesamoiditis, a condition which causes inflammation in the bones under his toes.
After an online appeal he has reached the £7,000 needed for surgery which could help him resume his career.
"Hope the operation is a success," Gateshead-born Graham, 29, wrote.
O'Donnell - formerly of Luton Town - had thanked Gateshead for their support in funding treatment when the Conference club explained it could no longer pay.
A group of supporters began fundraising on 2 May and an online charity appeal was set up for donations, with Graham's paid on Monday.
O'Donnell, who has never met Graham, tweeted: "Three weeks ago I was totally lost and hopeless. I'll forever be in great debt and appreciate every single penny.
"I'm not singling Danny out as without everybody I'd not have reached my target, but a donation like that has left me speechless.
"Premier League players take a lot of stick about being role models but this shows just how much of a role model someone can be."


Swimming's governing body has been criticised after dropping a doping charge against Russia's Yulia Efimova.

Efimova, who won 200m breaststroke bronze at London 2012, could compete at the Rio Olympics after a provisional ban - imposed following a positive test for meldonium - was lifted by Fina.
Jon Rudd, who coaches Ruta Meilutyte - one of Efimova's rivals, said Fina "seem to be very easily manipulated".
British swimmer Michael Jamieson accused Fina of "disgracing our sport".
The London Olympic silver medallist added on Twitter: "You are... destroying the career of honest athletes - shame on you all Fina."
Four-time world champion Efimova, 24, said the ban caused her "irreparable harm".
"My temporary suspension was not lifted in time and I lost the chance to qualify for the Olympic Games at the national championship," she said.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) added meldonium to its list of banned substances at the start of 2016, but recently gave those athletes who had since failed tests a lifeline with the admission it was unclear how long the substance took to clear the body.
Efimova previously served a 16-month ban after traces of anabolic steroid DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) were found in her system at an out-of-competition test in Los Angeles in 2013.
Efimova now appears likely to race in Brazil against Plymouth-based Lithuanian Meilutyte, the reigning Olympic 100m breaststroke champion.
Reacting to Efimova's reprieve, Rudd told BBC Sport: "Fina are very good at the soundbites of zero tolerance and stamping doping out of sport, but when they have an opportunity to stand by that conviction, unfortunately they have a habit of capitulating, and here we have it again.
"The longer and longer this matter was in Fina's hands and they were the ones to make a decision, I almost expected this to happen because it's happened before.
"A twisted part of this is I'm kind of glad she's there because I want her beaten."
Sign up to My Sport to follow swimming news and reports on the BBC app.


A rare bottle of whisky signed by US president elect Donald Trump has sold for £6,000 at auction in Glasgow.

The 26-year-old GlenDronach single malt whisky was bottled in 2012 to mark the opening of Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire.
A Canadian bidder paid more than twice the estimated price to secure the bottle at the auction of rare whiskies.
A bottle of 52-year-old Macallan 1950 fetched £10,000, while a bottle of the Black Bowmore  went for £5,200.
Laurie Black, whisky expert at McTear's auctioneers, said: "There was a huge amount of interest in the bottle and we were delighted with the final price, which was several times more than previous Trump bottles have sold for.
"The GlenDronach is a stunning whisky in its own right, however, the Trump connection gave this particular bottle a presidential boost."


Workers at a Welsh water supplier have spoken of their concern at a possible takeover by two competing firms.

Dee Valley Water employs about 180 people and has 230,000 customers across the Wrexham and Chester areas.
Severn Trent Water is  bidding against London investment firm Ancala to buy the company.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said he would "not support any change that would mean the loss of Welsh jobs".
A number of concerned staff spoke to the Newyddion 9 programme.
Julie Lloyd, a member of the network construction department, said she was "absolutely gutted".
"I have a son who works here, I have a nephew who works here, and I wanted to retire here," she said.
Tracey Jones, who has worked for the company for 12 months, said: "It's coming up to Christmas, people have got families, homes and children to support, so it's just a huge worry at the moment."
"A lot of people have put 40 years into the business, a lot more than was expected, and we wanted to continue doing that day in day out."
Much of the responsibility for water in Wales is devolved.
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, Mr Jones said: "I would not support any change that would mean the loss of Welsh jobs.
"The Competition and Markets Authority have launched an investigation into the deal...we will be looking to provide comments."
North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd told BBC Wales he had "huge concerns" about employees at Dee Valley Water.
"There aren't the guarantees we would wish in terms of continuation of employment, particularly backroom staff working in the call centre and other people working in Wrexham," he said.
"We have 80 local companies in north east Wales within the supply chain with no guarantees whatsoever of continuation of those contracts."
That, he added, could mean "dozens, if not hundreds of other jobs being put at risk".
Severn Trent Water is the current highest bidder with an offer of Â£84m.
A statement from the company said the acquisition of Dee Valley Water would "add value for customers, bring investment and help support and develop skills".
It said it would "fully support continued investment in infrastructure in the Dee Valley region" and the company "intend to maintain front line field force operations, which comprise a majority of Dee Valley's employees at their current locations in Wrexham and Chester".


Dan Biggar, the hero of Wales' stunning World Cup win over England, can become the nation's greatest fly-half, says Lyn Jones.

The Newport Gwent Dragons boss coached the 25-year-old as he made his way up through Ospreys' ranks.
Biggar's man-of-the-match display at Twickenham saw him kick 23 points, including a long-range winning penalty.
"If he carries on like this he's going to be the best ever number 10 Wales have ever had," said Jones.
To become accepted as the top fly-half in Welsh rugby history, fans would have to be persuaded Biggar will be able to overhaul legendary stand-offs Barry John, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies, Cliff Morgan and Dai Watkins.
John preceded Bennett in the position during a 1970s golden era in which Wales dominated the Five Nations Championship.
Both also starred as the British and Irish Lions won historic Test series - John with the 1971 Lions in New Zealand and Bennett as their pivot on their 'invincible' 1974 tour to South Africa.
John had himself succeeded dual-code legend Watkins while Morgan was similarly lauded during the 1950s.
Watkins and Morgan also played for the Lions, a feat Davies did not achieve as he moved to rugby league before their successful 1989 tour to Australia.
Biggar is likely to have Ireland's Johnny Sexton and England's Owen Farrell as rivals to tour New Zealand with the Lions in 2017.
Former Wales open-side flanker Jones said Biggar was "outstanding" throughout their dramatic win at Twickenham.
Biggar ended the game at full-back following a reshuffle forced by injuries that prompted Rhys Priestland's introduction at stand-off.
Jones added that Biggar provided "probably the best [Welsh] outside-half display we've seen for many a year".
And with regular goal-kicker Leigh Halfpenny absent after being ruled out by injury before the tournament, Jones says Biggar had the chance to underline his prowess.
"His goal-kicking for me is 10% better than Leigh Halfpenny's - that's only a statistic, they don't lie, unfortunately," said Jones.
"And there's been some discussion that 'we can't play without Leigh' because of his goal-kicking.
"Dan Biggar's a far better goal-kicker."
Wales face Fiji on Thursday hoping to take another step towards the World Cup quarter-finals after the wins over England and Uruguay.
Warren Gatland's side play their final Pool A match on Saturday, 10 October, against Australia at Twickenham.


Council leaders have been urged by ministers to explain within weeks how they will run services regionally.

The call, from Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford, comes after he scrapped plans to cut the number of councils from 22 to eight or nine.
Mr Drakeford was addressing the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) conference in Cardiff on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a report by a union said 23,700 fewer people work directly for Welsh councils than did in 2010.
Mr Drakeford's approach to improving the efficiency of local government is the introduction of new regional partnerships in areas such as social care, economic development and transport.
In his speech to the WLGA he called for "momentum" in changing the way councils work, even though full-blown reorganisation plans have been dropped.
Further talks between the Welsh Government and council leaders will be held, with the intention of putting together more detailed proposals by the end of the year on joint working arrangements.
WLGA leader Bob Wellington also backed plans for services such as social care to be shared by councils within current health board boundaries, and economic development to be run inside different boundaries based around cities in the south, and in one north Wales region.
He also said council mergers could still take place on a voluntary basis.
Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan, and Conwy and Denbighshire councils had proposed pairing up in 2015, but their plans were rejected by former Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews.
There was a marked contrast in tone to the speech Mr Wellington gave at last year's conference, when there was a strained relationship between council leaders and the Welsh Government over reorganisation plans.
Referring to Mr Andrews, Mr Wellington warned at the time there was "nothing more dangerous in a combat zone than a general with a map".
On Thursday, he praised Mr Drakeford as someone at cabinet level who "listens and engages in sensible dialogue".
Mr Wellington also described Brexit as a "disaster" for Wales but a wake-up call for politicians.
The conference came as the public sector union Unison warned that austerity was resulting in thousands of job losses at local councils.
In a report, the union said the cut equated to one worker out of seven, or 14% of people directly working for councils.
Based on data from the Office for National Statistics, the figures include full and part-timers as well as temporary and casual staff.
However, the union accepted that some departing staff would now be working for bodies which had taken over some local authority services, such as leisure.


The NHS has come under intense pressure this winter, with record numbers of patients facing long waits in accident and emergency units among other challenges.

We asked some of those who have fallen ill, and the families of others, to share their experiences of winter 2016-17.
My dad's mental health has really deteriorated - I blame the trauma of the fall and the time he's been forced to spend in hospital
Sue's father's life changed dramatically after he fell out of bed while in hospital in December 2016.
Bryan, 84, had been admitted to hospital near their house in Cornwall for a hip operation.
Sue says she was not told about his fall for several days, eventually she was told he would not walk again and possibly had only six months left to live.
"I am devastated - six weeks ago everything was fine, now this is not the world I imagined I'd be in.
"In December he was walking into town, doing gardening, he loved mechanics and tinkering.
"Now in hospital his mental health has really deteriorated, he does not speak and strips naked in public.
"I blame the trauma of the fall and the time he's been forced to spend in hospital.
"I'm really on edge, I feel like I'm about to fall off a cliff.
"I break down in tears at least once a day.
"He's had his life taken away too soon.
"Are we saying that because he's too complicated, our society can't care for him?
"It seems like such a big fight to just find out from the hospital what is going on.
"I just hope to God that he doesn't understand what is happening to him.
"I feel like he'll never come home again, he seems lost to us."
I was driving when I realised I was having a heart attack... it felt like a horse was kicking me in the chest
John Perrins was on the M6 motorway, driving home from Cambridge, when he realised he was having a heart attack.
An ambulance driver himself, he had feared he would never see his wife again - so intense was the pain. But a paramedic saved his life at the side of the road.
"I was vomiting and felt like a horse was kicking me in the chest.
"My wife called an ambulance, which arrived within 10 minutes - seeing the blue lights was the most wonderful thing I've ever seen.
"I passed out, but apparently they performed three lots of heart massage - 90 compressions.
"When I came round they spoke to me and, although I was scared, the way that the paramedic spoke to me made me feel safe.
"The ambulance crew were absolutely phenomenal.
"A friend who is a paramedic came to see me and he told me that the last six heart attack patients he worked on had died - I felt so lucky that I had this particular ambulance crew.
"They have given me my life back.
"The paramedic was treating me, teaching a trainee and looking after my wife in the ambulance - I could not have asked for a better person.
"I am trying to find out the names of the ambulance crew - I want to find them so I can say thank you."
Trevor Dallimore-Wright says his local GP and hospital are "like a family" to him, regularly providing life-saving care for his complex health conditions.
"The NHS has been absolutely brilliant," says Trevor, from London, who has diabetes and depression.
"My GP keeps me sane and out of hospital - I would give her 10 out of 10.
"I've had emergency admittance twice recently with sepsis - I went to A&E and was treated very quickly.
"They've had a great impact on my life.
"NHS treatment has helped me during the times that I could not get out of bed.
"My GP is extremely kind and patient. They are so patient-centred, I would put them in the luxury bracket.
"All the hospital staff are extraordinarily friendly.
"They are there despite the infrastructure problems in the NHS, and the care could not be better.
"From the moment I walk in, I know I'm being looked after.
"My only problem is that the NHS won't pay for immunotherapy drugs which are at the front line of treatment but are expensive."
Thirty six-year-old Nikki Alldis' satisfaction levels are at the other end of the spectrum, however, despite also living London. She says she has waited 15 months for a bowel operation, which has been twice cancelled.
When the procedure was scheduled for early January, she mentally prepared her young children and rearranged her work. But Nikki has twice received a last-minute call telling her there is no bed space.
She is still waiting.
"I'd prepared mentally - I planned my whole Christmas around the operation and recovery. I prepared frozen dinners for my kids, they are seven and 13, and I said a farewell goodbye.
"Then in the morning the nurse called me and said, 'We have no bed for you.'
"I was gutted. The kids were so confused when they came home and I was still there.
"I've been waiting for 15 months now - it's hanging over me.
"I did not believe the second appointment would happen, but I packed my bags anyway.
"We didn't even bother to rearrange my husband's work that time, if he's not working we're not earning, so we can't afford these cancellations.
"I put things in place with my work for people to cover me.
"I'm still waiting, hopefully it's third time lucky."
When 29-year-old Paul was feeling suicidal in January, the NHS crisis care team in west London gave him 24-hour care to keep him safe.
He has received treatment for bipolar disorder for four years and says his consultant and crisis team are outstanding.
"They helped me in my darkest and most depressive hours," says Paul, who asked for his surname not to be revealed.
"I came back home after New Year and went back to day-to-day life, but it kicked off a hefty depression and I was left feeling really low and suicidal.
"My partner called the crisis team, and they came to our house three or four times a day.
"They come at 02:00 or 03:00, they are really responsive.
"I don't feel like they are just doing their jobs, they have genuine care for me.
"They take away my medication to make sure I will not overdose and when they visit, they make me take the medication.
"Sometimes they just spend time with me.
"They ask how I am, what did you eat and sometimes they make me do things like go and buy some milk, which I don't always feel able to do.
"I would not be alive without them.
"But one problem I have with NHS mental health care is that they medicate but do not do counselling, there is a massive waiting list, so now I have to get counselling privately."
I stayed on a chair beside my mum and slept on the floor - she died a week later
"Before she was diagnosed with cancer, my mum could run a marathon," says Richard Taylor, 55 from Liverpool.
He was devastated after watching her "undignified" death last month.
The local cancer centre did not have the capacity to give her end-of-life care.
"After she received the second diagnosis, she was sent home and we got caught in a communication loop between three hospitals. It was an emotional rollercoaster.
"Eventually I had to take her to A&E  - she could not eat or drink.
"She spent 13 hours on a trolley, behind a curtain in a noisy and busy ward.
"I stayed on a chair beside her and slept on the floor - she died a week later.
"My gripe is with the lack of communication and the delays in my mum's treatment.
"The nursing staff were fantastic, but there is only so much they can do - they could not give my mum 24-hour attention.
"She was a very proud and dignified woman - but in the end she was simply scared to be alone.
"It was awful watching someone die in this extremely undignified way.
"If she was an animal, they would have put her down - she was starving and dehydrated.
"The nurses were lovely and compassionate, but they offered me no support.
"The NHS is a great thing, but it is under the hammer."
A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year.
By Georgina Rannard, UGC & Social News


A 3.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of North Yorkshire.

The tremor was detected about 100 miles (150km) east of Scarborough in the North Sea at 18:52 GMT on Tuesday.
A British Geological Survey (BGS) spokesman said people may have experienced a "minor tremor", but the quake would not have caused any structural damage.
Four earthquakes measuring between 3.0 and 3.9 magnitude are detected in the North Sea each year, the BGS says.
Live updates and more from across North Yorkshire
One caller to BBC Radio York, June, said she had "felt the shake" while cooking in her top floor flat in Scarborough.
"I had some oil in my frying pan and as I moved it across to the sink I lost all control of it all of a sudden," she said.
"The oil went all over the carpet in the kitchen."
Largest known earthquake
According to the BGS, up to 30 earthquakes are felt by people in the UK each year. A few hundred smaller ones are recorded by sensitive instruments.
The largest known British earthquake occurred 60 miles (97km) offshore near the Dogger Bank in 1931. It had a magnitude of 6.1, causing minor damage to buildings on the east coast of England.
The most damaging UK earthquake was in the Colchester area of Essex in 1884 when about 1,200 buildings needed repairs.


Russia is carrying out a sustained campaign of cyber attacks targeting democracy and critical infrastructure in the West, UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has warned.

Moscow was "weaponising misinformation" in a bid to expand its influence and destabilise Western governments and weaken Nato, he said.
Vladimir Putin had chosen to become a "strategic competitor" of the West.
Sir Michael said it was vital alliance members strengthened cyber defences.
His speech, at the University of St Andrews, came hours before Theresa May was due to use an informal summit in Malta to press EU Nato members to boost defence spending.
May to press EU leaders over defence spending
Meanwhile, in a report, MPs have warned that a skills shortage and "chaotic" handling of personal data breaches are undermining confidence in the UK government's ability to protect its own infrastructure and economy from cyber attacks.
MPs question UK's cyber attack defences
Sir Michael said Nato needed to do more to tackle the "false reality" being propagated by the Kremlin.
"Nato must defend itself as effectively in the cyber sphere as it does in the air, on land, and at sea, so adversaries know there is a price to pay if they use cyber weapons," he added.
The defence secretary pointed to a "persistent pattern of behaviour" by Moscow, highlighting a series of cyber attacks that had been linked to Russia.
Suspected Russian attacks included France's TV5Monde broadcaster being taken off air in April 2015 - originally claimed by hackers linked to the self-styled Islamic State - and the targeting of Germany's lower house of parliament, he said.
Another cyber attack, on Bulgaria in October 2016, was described by the country's president as the "heaviest" and most "intense" to be conducted in south-eastern Europe.
Sir Michael also spoke of the suspected Russian hacking of the two main political parties in the US presidential elections.
Russia has denied any involvement in the hacking, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says Moscow was not the source for the site's mass leak of emails from the Democratic Party.
Sir Michael said: "Today, we see a country that in weaponising misinformation has created what we might now see as the post-truth age.
"Russia is clearly testing Nato and the West. It is seeking to expand its sphere of influence, destabilise countries and weaken the alliance.
"It is undermining national security for many allies and the international rules-based system.
"Therefore it is in our interest and Europe's to keep Nato strong and to deter and dissuade Russia from this course."
Sir Michael backed US president Donald Trump's call for all Nato member states to honour the commitment to spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defence.


BBC News is looking for the biggest amateur general election nerd.

Do you know somebody with a stack of Vacher's Quarterly proudly on their shelf? Are you the kind of friend who can recite swing percentages when discussing polls?
What question would you put to somebody else to test their polling day trivia?
Jeremy Vine has already set tt five questions, with the answers available here, but do you have a question for Jeremy?
We will be posting your questions on Twitter, and putting them to Jeremy Vine, to sort the ballot savants from the referendum pretenders.
If you have an election brain-teaser, email it to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, send it to us on WhatsApp +44 (0)7525 900971 or follow us on Twitter and post your question using #bbcelectiongeek


Round-the-world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur has launched her summer sailing base in Scotland for youngsters recovering from cancer and leukaemia.

The first trip took place at the newly-established hub in Largs, just six months after the scheme was announced.
Dame Ellen joined two groups, aged between eight and 24, for the four-day inaugural venture.
During the trip the groups spent three nights sleeping on board the 38ft to 48ft cruising yachts.
The trip involved various stopovers, giving the youngsters the chance to test their new skills and rebuild their confidence.
Dame Ellen, who broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005, founded the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust in 2003.
It has received £55,000 in funding from the People's Postcode Lottery, of which £40,000 was used to establish the Largs hub. Previously, young Scots had to travel to the Isle of Wight to take part.
Dame Ellen said the charity's work on the Isle of Wight had made a positive impact on people's lives, and the Largs hub could be "just as life-changing".
She added: "We are really pleased to be working in Scotland. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world to sail and the young people gain so much from the experience.
"The creation of the hub in Scotland is vital to allow the trust to be as accessible as possible.
"The young people who are undergoing treatment, or who are in remission, have already likely travelled some distances to and from hospitals, so to have a hub in Scotland where Scots can now get involved in the trust's work is simply fantastic.
"The sailing trips are about taking the young people away from an environment where cancer, recovery, remission are words being focused on day in, day out, and giving them the opportunity to learn a new skill and meet new people who, without speaking about it, understand exactly how they are feeling.
"The young people are given responsibilities on the sail, allowing them to build on their self-confidence."
Double-Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, who grew up and learned to sail in Scotland, is an ambassador for the charity.
She said: "I have always been a strong advocate of the fact that the sailing trips put on by the trust benefits young people from all over the UK, including over 40 young Scottish people to date.
"A hub in Scotland will ensure that the trust will be increasingly accessible, further allowing even more Scottish young people in recovery from cancer to experience the benefits from the inspirational work that the charity undertakes."
Dame Ellen decided to launch the cancer trust  after she spent some time with a similar organisation in France. It now works with every primary treatment centre in the UK.


At least four UN peacekeepers have been involved in the sexual assault of a woman in Mali, according to the UN.

The soldiers have been identified as being among 1,500 Chadian troops serving with Minusma, which took over security duties in the country in July.
The UN says it wants Chad to investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against the men.
Residents told the BBC that several women were raped by the soldiers in the northern city of Gao last Thursday.
In January, French forces led an operation involving Malian and West African troops to oust Islamist militants from the north.
A 12,600-strong United Nations peace force is currently deploying to the West African nation, as France withdraws its troops.
The assault is believed to have happened last Thursday in Gao, which was in the area seized by militants following a coup in March 2012.
The woman is thought to have come forward seeking medical help from the UN immediately after the attack. This triggered the UN force to launch an investigation.
The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Bamako says it is not known exactly how many Chadians were involved, but the victim identified four soldiers as having assaulted her.
At the time, 165 Chadian soldiers had just arrived in Gao, our correspondent adds.
They had defied the orders of their superiors and left their base in Tessalit, in the remote far north, after a dispute over pay and conditions.
Residents told the BBC they were scared by the presence of the Chadian soldiers, who were armed and arrived in Gao in 40 vehicles and stayed for several days without a place to sleep.
They allege that several women were raped by a group of Chadian soldiers in a room adjoining a bar in the city centre. Only one woman has come forward to report an assault.
A Minusma spokesman in Bamako said it was for the Chadian authorities to decide on what disciplinary action they should take against the men.
He said the victim would be offered medical, psychological and legal support but not financial compensation.
The Chadians are part of a force of 6,000 African troops serving under in Minusma peacekeeping force.


Senior figures from the five main parties have taken part in the first televised debate of the Northern Ireland Assembly election campaign.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster and Sinn FÃ©in's Martin McGuinness were at Belfast's Lyric Theatre for the UTV Election Debate.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood and David Ford, the Alliance leader, also took part.
Voters will go to the polls on 5 May.
For Mrs Foster and Mr Eastwood, the debate was their first as the leaders of their parties.
Mrs Foster got off to a nervous start, stumbling in her opening statement, but appeared more confident when she and Mr Nesbitt differed on the issue of abortion.
Moves to change Northern Ireland's abortion law were blocked in the last assembly term.
Mr Nesbitt said: "We should change the law when it comes to fatal foetal abnormalities and sex crimes and what we did in the last term was Dickensian, it was like Bleak House."
But Mrs Foster responded by saying that "more of Mike's party voted with me on the last couple of occasions than voted with him".
"So, I speak more for the Ulster Unionists than the leader of the Ulster Unionists," she added.
The debate then turned to education, with Mr Eastwood and Mr McGuinness clashing on the 11-plus examination.
Mr Eastwood claimed that Mr McGuinness had failed to abolish the transfer test.
"We have young children, [aged] 10 and 11, doing four or five exams outside their primary school," he said.
"That system is still there and I want to see that system gone."
But Mr McGuinness said the 11-plus was a government exam.
"The examinations that are taking place at the moment are under the tutelage of grammar schools, not the government," he said.
"The government does not impose selection on children at the age of 10 and 11."
Mr Ford said integrated education needed greater support.
"A very large number of parents want to see their children educated in integrated schools," he said.
"[Integrated education] is also one way of avoiding the waste of money which is currently going with something like 70,000 empty desks and half-empty school buildings.
"We could actually put the resources of education into educating children rather than cleaning floors and keeping slates on roofs."
Matters then moved on to health and the economy.
The debate ended on a light-hearted note, with the participants asked which actor should play them in a film.
Mr Nesbitt went for Liz Hurley, while Mr McGuinness chose Colm Meaney, the Irish actor who will play him in the forthcoming dramatic comedy The Journey.
Arlene Foster jokingly chose US star Demi Moore.
And with their tongues firmly in their cheeks, Mr Ford chose Liam Neeson and Mr Eastwood went for Jamie Dornan.
The next leaders' debate of the election campaign will be on BBC Northern Ireland next month.


Rising global temperatures are helping to speed up slow moving landslides across Alaska.

Researchers told BBC News that the geological features, known as frozen debris lobes, are now threatening a major highway.
The warming climate is said to have hastened some of the rocky fingers to a heady speed of five metres a year.
Engineers believe that either moving the roadway or freezing the ground may be effective solutions.
These teardrop shaped, slow moving bodies of material are made up of soil, rock, water, ice and trees.
Researchers for many years believed these features to be rock glaciers - but scientists in Alaska believe that the masses they've observed are different and distinct. They call them frozen debris lobes.
The lobes are often covered in trees and vegetation and according to those who have studied them, they don't have an icy core. They say that thanks to a combination of pressure and temperature, the water at the centre stays liquid.
The lobes are gathering speed, according to those who have studied them. In size they can be 100m wide, 20m high and up to 1km in length.
"They are coming downhill, the closest is only 40 metres away from the toe of the embankment of the highway," said Dr Margaret Darrow from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
"You can figure out that moving at 5m a year, how many years it's going to take!"
According to a research paper published in 2012 by Dr Darrow, the rate of movement of the lobe closest to the highway was just over 1cm a day between 1955 and 2008. However measurements in 2012 showed a speed of 2.5cm per day.
The scientists say there are over 23 such lobes within 2km uphill of the Dalton Highway, one of the most important roads in Alaska.
It links Fairbanks in the centre of the state to the Arctic shore on the north coast. The critically important Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline sits right beside it.
Dr Darrow says that she believes rising temperatures in the region are responsible for the increase in speed. She says that there is an internal flow within the lobe that she attributes to unfrozen water within the soil, that allows it to slide along at increasing speed.
"When the temperatures are warmer, it moves faster," she told BBC News.
"I would project that if temperatures warm it will move faster, and there's a relationship between temperatures and precipitation. I would assume that with rising temperatures we will see more rainfall and if that is the case they will move faster."
Climate researchers say that Alaska has warmed by double the rate of the rest of the United States over the past 50 years.
Plans have now been drawn up to move a section of the Dalton highway in 2017 in order to avoid a collision with the ever encroaching lobe.
Some have proposed blowing up the part nearest the road, but the scientists think this would make matters worse. A better solution, they believe, is to freeze the ground around the lobe.
"There's one feature that is really threatening the road within 10 years, but cooling if done right should work - if theoretical physics works as we think it does," said Dr Ronald Daanen, with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, who was the first researcher to identify the features back in 2007.
"It needs to happen from underneath so you'd need to do some directional drilling."
There are still some sceptics within the scientific community who question the true nature of these geological features - and show some reluctance to classify the lobes as distinct phenomena.
"Some people really still want to to call these features rock glaciers," said Dr Daanen.
"Europeans like to hang on to terms that they know."
Follow Matt on Twitter.


Residents and representatives of food firms have staged a protest at Norwich City Hall over a planned energy park.

A biomass electricity generation plant, to be approved by the council, would use straw pellets as a raw material.
Protesters claim construction on contaminated land could pollute water sources for a nearby soft drinks factory, leading to job losses.
Power company EON said emissions would be controlled and neither air nor water sources would be affected.
Residents are worried about poor air quality, but the company said emissions would be maintained within strict levels and constantly monitored.
The site for the Â£300m scheme would be in the Thorpe Hamlet district close to the city centre.
Plans for Generation Park, on a former industrial site between the River Wensum and Yarmouth Road, have been backed by the University of East Anglia.
Campaigners said it threatened damage to a water source used by the Britvic soft drinks factory.
Campaign spokesman Conrad Jones said: "Generation Park is on the old coal-fired power station and the ground is very contaminated. Developers will have to be very careful when they disturb it."
As well as the incineration plant using straw pellets providing electricity and heating for 120 new homes, the site will contain student accommodation and research  and education centres.
Norwich City Council said the plant would also reduce its carbon footprint by 22%.
Professor Trevor Davies, from the University of East Anglia and the Generation Park spokesman, said: "There is no risk to health or threat to water sources."
Consultation on the project by the city council lasts until the end of the month.


Josh Onomah's deflected strike earned Aston Villa a point as they fought back at Bristol City in the Championship.

A draw was a fair result after an even match that left both sides with one win from their first five league games.
After a goalless hour, Jamie Paterson scored the hosts' opener from close range, before Tottenham loanee Onomah responded with his first Villa goal.
Both sides had spells of pressure in the closing stages, but Villa earned their first away point of 2017-18.
Robins right-back Eros Pisano almost won it with 13 minutes left when his slightly mis-hit cross evaded Villa keeper Sam Johnstone, but it bounced back off the inside of the far post.
A possible blow to Steve Bruce's side came at half-time as experienced defender Christopher Samba was withdrawn with a possible knee problem.
Villa had initially started with three at the back and found themselves under early pressure from the hosts' lively forwards, with Paterson on form, but after Bruce switched to a 4-4-2 formation, the visitors grew in to the game.
The draw was Bristol City's third in a row in the Championship and saw them extend their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions, while Villa's stretched to three.
Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson:
"I just wish we had a couple more points at this stage because I think we have deserved them. But we are definitely heading in the right direction. The fans can see that.
"Both teams put so much in to the game and I thought it was a credit to the Championship.
"We are still looking to sign an attacking player before the deadline and there could be some departures. But to be honest I would be happy if the window closed now."
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce:
"The vultures gathered sooner than I expected this season, which is perhaps a sign of the times, but tonight we have sent our fans home happy.
"They have seen some young players giving everything for the club. It wasn't a classic performance, but the lads have rolled their sleeves up and got something from the game.
"For me, that has been missing for far too long."
Match ends, Bristol City 1, Aston Villa 1.
Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Aston Villa 1.
Hand ball by Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa).
Offside, Aston Villa. John Terry tries a through ball, but Birkir Bjarnason is caught offside.
Foul by Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa).
Eros Pisano (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Aston Villa. Conor Hourihane tries a through ball, but Josh Onomah is caught offside.
Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Eros Pisano (Bristol City).
Foul by Cauley Woodrow (Bristol City).
John Terry (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Josh Brownhill (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Josh Brownhill (Bristol City).
Scott Hogan (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Bristol City. Niclas Eliasson replaces Marlon Pack.
Substitution, Bristol City. Callum O'Dowda replaces Jamie Paterson.
Josh Onomah (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Josh Onomah (Aston Villa).
Jamie Paterson (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Hand ball by Josh Brownhill (Bristol City).
Attempt missed. Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by John Terry.
Foul by Cauley Woodrow (Bristol City).
James Chester (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Birkir Bjarnason replaces Andre Green.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Scott Hogan replaces Keinan Davis.
.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Neil Taylor.
Attempt saved. Nathan Baker (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Jamie Paterson with a cross.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by James Chester.
Jamie Paterson (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa).
Attempt saved. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Bristol City. Cauley Woodrow replaces Famara Diedhiou.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Ahmed Elmohamady.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by James Chester.
Attempt blocked. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Famara Diedhiou.
Famara Diedhiou (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa).
Attempt blocked. Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ahmed Elmohamady.
Offside, Bristol City. Bobby Reid tries a through ball, but Famara Diedhiou is caught offside.