Striking 3M workers in France hold boss hostage over job demands
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | 11:00 AM ET
CBC News
Talks were expected to resume Wednesday between 3M management and 20 striking workers who took their boss hostage at a plant south of Paris, according to a mediator.
The workers have been holding Luc Rousselet, who is director of 3M's French operations, since Tuesday when he was prevented from leaving the factory in Pithiviers.
He has not been threatened with violence, said company spokeswoman Catherine Hamon.
The workers are demanding better severance packages in the wake of 2,700 layoffs at 13 French sites of 3M — a U.S.-based manufacturer known for Post-It notes and Scotch tape.
A total of 110 of 235 workers at the Pithiviers factory are among those targeted for layoffs. They also want better working conditions for those keeping their jobs.
"We will go to the end to get what we deserve," said Jean-Francois Caparros of the Force Ouvriere labor union.
The workers have been on strike since Friday.
The Maplewood, Minn.-based 3M is also planning job cuts at facilities in the United States and other countries.
With files from the Associated Press
