FRANCE: Angry 3M employees hold French plant manager hostage in his office in protest of proposed layoffs
Record ID:
1525832
FRANCE: Angry 3M employees hold French plant manager hostage in his office in protest of proposed layoffs
- Title: FRANCE: Angry 3M employees hold French plant manager hostage in his office in protest of proposed layoffs
- Date: 26th March 2009
- Summary: ORLEANS, FRANCE (MARCH 25, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF 3M BUILDING PROTEST BANNER POLICE OFFICER ENTERING BUILDING VARIOUS OF POLICE SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOW VARIOUS OF POLICE BLOCKING OFFICE EMPLOYEES LOOKING ON EMPLOYEES CLAPPING VARIOUS OF LUC ROUSSELET, INDUSTRIAL DIRECTOR BEING HELD HOSTAGE, SEEN THROUGH WINDOW VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEES (SOUNDBITE) (French) PERSONNEL MANAGER (withheld name), SAYING: "We were invited to a meeting where we were to learn more about our situation. But there was nothing new, so we boycotted. We thought he was coming to see us but he did not, so we went to see him. He locked himself in his office. It was not us who locked him in." EMPLOYEES BLOCKING ENTRANCE
- Embargoed: 10th April 2009 11:37
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8HD7VVDFJFGH8S14Q2JRM2OMM
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Workers at a factory operated by U.S. firm 3M held their French manager hostage overnight to protest against plans to lay off workers.
Luc Rousselet, the industrial director of the 3M plant near Orleans, south of Paris, was barricaded in an office on Tuesday (March 24) 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.
Employees denied holding the manager hostage.
"We were invited to a meeting where we were to learn more about our situation, but since there was nothing new, we boycotted. We thought he was coming to see us but he did not, so we went to see him. He locked himself in his office. It was not us who locked him in," said the plant's personnel manager, who refused to give her name.
3M makes everything from scotch tape to optical films for liquid crystal displays. France is its sixth largest market and it employs 2,800 staff here at eight sites, according to the group's Web site.
Social tensions are steadily rising in France because of the economic crisis. More than two million people are already unemployed and hundreds of thousands more are expected to lose their jobs this year as the recession deepens. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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