Lock ‘em up

Lock ‘em up

French workers lock their manager up for the night in an attempt to negotiate better redundancy packages.

March 25, 2009 4:07 by Dana El Baltaji

A French manager of US firm 3M was held overnight in a room by workers at a factory in France after news that the corporation plans to make 110 employees redundant, reports Reuters. The workers are demanding better redundancy packages, job-security guarantees for those being retained, and salary payment for workers who went on strike over the redundancy plan.

“These people have more to complain about than me and I knew there was this risk when I came here,” Luc Rousselet, the ‘imprisoned’ manager said to reporters over the phone.

“Until we have a commitment from 3M that they will increase pay-packets and are ready to discuss our conditions for negotiations, then Mr. Rousselet will have to remain here,” union representative Jean-Francois Caparros told Reuters.

Apparently, a similar incident took place at a Sony factor in France in early March; a CEO and human resources director were held against their will until they agreed to better redundancy packages.

If it worked for Sony workers facing the axe, do you think it would work for Emaar employees? Just a thought.

And where’s the French police, you ask? They’re around, but they didn’t want to get involved because of the potential violence.

Only in France would the police publicly acknowledge that they have no intention of foiling a kidnapping in progress.

And Yemen.