French manager held hostage by staff

March 25, 2009

French factory workers are holding their manager hostage in protest at plans to lay off workers. Luc Rousselet is the industrial director of the 3M plant near Orleans, south of Paris. He was barricaded in an office on Tuesday evening. Workers are refusing to let him out until he agrees to more favourable terms for the 110 employees who are to lose their jobs. The company said it needs to cut jobs at the plant to reduce overcapacity because of falling demand. Elsewhere in Paris 700 workers from the French Continental Tyre plant have also been protesting about job losses.