Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Changes in Benefit Obligations

The changes in the benefit obligation and plan assets, the funded status of the plans and the amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows (in millions):

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Dec 31, 2012			Dec 31, 2011			Dec 31, 2012			Dec 31, 2011
Changes in Benefit Obligation:
Beginning benefit obligation	$	167.2		$	152.6		$	114.2		$	107.5
Impact of foreign currency exchange rate change	—			—			—			(2.8		)
Acquisitions	—			—			19.1			—
Service cost	1.8			1.4			4.3			3.1
Interest cost	7.7			8.1			6.1			5.7
Settlement (gain) loss	—			—			(2.5		)	(1.4		)
Benefits paid	(9.9		)	(9.8		)	(4.1		)	(4.9		)
Employee contributions	—			—			0.2			0.1
Amendments / Change in assumptions	0.1			0.7			4.0			4.1
Actuarial (gain) loss	13.5			14.2			17.2			2.8
Ending benefit obligation	$	180.4		$	167.2		$	158.5		$	114.2
Changes in Plan Assets:
Beginning fair value of plan assets	$	126.6		$	123.6		$	40.1		$	36.9
Impact of foreign currency exchange rate change	—			—			0.5			(0.7		)
Acquisitions	—			—			16.9			—
Actual return on plan assets	11.9			(4.7		)	2.5			3.3
Company contributions	0.5			17.5			8.0			6.9
Settlements	—			—			(17.8		)	(1.4		)
Benefits paid	(9.9		)	(9.8		)	(4.1		)	(4.9		)
Ending fair value of plan assets	$	129.1		$	126.6		$	46.1		$	40.1
Funded status at end of year	$	(51.3	)	$	(40.6	)	$	(112.4	)	$	(74.1	)
Amounts Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Other Assets	$	—		$	—		$	0.2		$	7.5
Accrued liabilities	$	(0.4	)	$	(0.4	)	$	(5.7	)	$	(4.3	)
Other liabilities	$	(50.9	)	$	(40.2	)	$	(106.9	)	$	(77.3	)
Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income:
Net actuarial loss	$	87.6		$	84.9		$	31.2		$	15.1
Prior service cost	0.4			0.6			8.9			6.8
Transition obligation	—			—			0.5			0.6
	$	88.0		$	85.5		$	40.6		$	22.5

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations

Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets consist of the following (in millions):

	U.S. Plans				Non-U.S. Plans
	Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011		Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011
Projected benefit obligation	$	180.4	$	167.2	$	149.7	$	104.5
Accumulated benefit obligation	179.4		166.6		136.1		93.4
Fair value of the plan assets	129.0		126.6		44.2		23.1

Schedule of Pension Expense

Pension expense included the following components (in millions):

	U.S. Plans Year ended									Non-U.S. Plans Year ended
	Dec 31, 2012			Dec 31, 2011			Dec 31, 2010			Dec 31, 2012			Dec 31, 2011			Dec 31, 2010
Pension expense:
Service cost	$	1.8		$	1.4		$	1.4		$	4.3		$	3.1		$	2.7
Interest cost	7.7			8.1			8.3			6.1			5.7			5.6
Expected return on plan assets	(9.1		)	(10.6		)	(9.2		)	(2.0		)	(2.4		)	(2.0		)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1			0.1			0.1			1.4			0.3			0.2
Amortization of net loss	8.3			5.1			4.8			1.2			1.2			0.5
Amortization of transition obligation	—			—			—			0.2			0.2			0.2
Curtailment (gain) loss	—			—			—			—			—			(1.8		)
Settlement (gain) loss	—			—			—			0.1			0.3			0.3
Net pension expense	$	8.8		$	4.1		$	5.4		$	11.3		$	8.4		$	5.7

Schedule of Weighted Average Assumptions Used in Determining Benefit Obligations and Net Pension Expense

The weighted average assumptions used in determining benefit obligations were:

	U.S. Plans				Non-U.S. Plans
	Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011		Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011
Discount rate	4.10	%	4.70	%	4.20	%	5.20	%
Expected rate of increase in future compensation levels	2.00	%	2.00	%	4.10	%	4.40	%

The weighted average assumptions used to determine net pension expense were:

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011		Dec 31, 2010		Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011		Dec 31, 2010
Discount rate	4.70	%	5.40	%	6.00	%	5.10	%	5.60	%	6.20	%
Expected rate of increase in future compensation levels	2.00	%	2.00	%	2.00	%	6.10	%	4.30	%	5.50	%
Long-term expected rate of return on plan assets	7.50	%	8.50	%	8.50	%	4.50	%	7.20	%	6.90	%

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets

The fair value of the Company’s pension plan assets at December 31, 2012 by asset category are as follows (in millions):

			Quoted prices in Active Markets for Identical		Significant Observable		Significant Unobservable
Asset Category	Total		Assets (Level 1)		Inputs (Level 2)		Inputs (Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	77.3	$	77.2	$	0.1	$	—
Mutual Funds	54.7		37.9		16.8		—
Short Term Investments	2.1		—		2.1		—
Equitable Contract	1.3		—		1.3		—
Fixed Income	11.5		—		11.5		—
Coal Lease (1)	4.2		—		—		4.2
Total	$	151.1	$	115.1	$	31.8	$	4.2

The fair value of the Company’s pension plan assets at December 31, 2011 by asset category are as follows (in millions):

			Quoted prices in Active Markets for Identical		Significant Observable		Significant Unobservable
Asset Category	Total		Assets (Level 1)		Inputs (Level 2)		Inputs (Level 3)
Equity Securities	$	81.3	$	81.0	$	0.3	$	—
Mutual Funds	50.7		36.3		14.4		—
Short Term Investments	3.3		—		3.3		—
Equitable Contract	1.4		—		1.4		—
Fixed Income	25.6		—		25.6		—
Coal Lease (1)	4.4		—		—		4.4
Total	$	166.7	$	117.3	$	45.0	$	4.4

(1) The Company’s interest represents approximately 26% of the lease which is currently between American Premier Underwriters (APU), the Lessor and CONSOL Energy (CONSOL), the Lessee. The lease pertains to real property mined by CONSOL located in Pennsylvania.

Schedule of Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Inputs

The following table represents details of the fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3):

	Coal Lease
Beginning balance at January 1, 2011	$	4.6
Change in fair value of plan assets	(0.2		)
Purchases, sales, transfers, and settlements	—
Ending balance December 31, 2011	$	4.4
Change in fair value of plan assets	(0.2		)
Purchases, sales, transfers, and settlements	—
Ending balance at December 31, 2012	$	4.2

Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Costs of Retirement Plans

General Cable has postretirement benefit plans that provide medical and life insurance for certain retirees and eligible dependents. General Cable funds the plans as claims or insurance premiums are incurred. The changes in accrued postretirement benefits were as follows (in millions):

	Dec 31, 2012			Dec 31, 2011
Changes in Benefit Obligation:
Beginning benefit obligation	$	7.1		$	8.0
Service cost	0.1			0.1
Interest cost	0.2			0.3
Actuarial loss	(0.4		)	(0.4		)
Benefits paid	(0.8		)	(0.9		)
Foreign currency impact	0.1			—
Ending benefit obligation	$	6.3		$	7.1
Funded status at end of year	$	(6.3	)	$	(7.1	)
Amounts Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Accrued liabilities	$	(0.9	)	$	(1.0	)
Other liabilities	$	(5.4	)	$	(6.1	)
Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income:
Net actuarial loss	$	0.6		$	1.1
Prior service cost	(0.2		)	(0.3		)
	$	0.4		$	0.8

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Costs of Retirement Plans

Net postretirement benefit expense included the following components (in millions):

	Year ended
	Dec 31, 2012		Dec 31, 2011			Dec 31, 2010
Postretirement benefit expense:
Service cost	$	0.1	$	0.1		$	0.1
Interest cost	0.2		0.3			0.4
Amortization of prior service cost	—		(0.1		)	(0.1		)
Amortization of net loss	—		0.1			0.1
Net postretirement benefit expense	$	0.3	$	0.4		$	0.5