3M workers barricade head of French operations in his office over job cuts
Desperate economic times require desperate measures, it seems, as striking French workers at 3M's pharmaceutical plant at Pithiviers outside Paris barricaded their boss in his office in a protest over redundancies.
Desperate economic times require desperate measures, it seems, as striking French workers at 3M's pharmaceutical plant at Pithiviers outside Paris barricaded their boss in his office in a protest over redundancies.
About 20 workers held 3M's head of French operations, Luc Rousselet, in his office for more than 24 hours.
The workers did not threaten any violence and the atmosphere was apparently calm at the factory.
Union representative Jean-Francois Caparros told Reuters that Rousselet would remain locked in his office until the union had a commitment from 3M that it would increase pay and discuss conditions for negotiations.
Rousselet was freed after he signed a deal to renegotiate severance packages for the 110 workers facing redundancy and better conditions for those keeping their jobs. 3M said it needed to cut jobs at Pithiviers to reduce capacity because of falling demand.
The site, which employs 235 people, manufactures medical products and equipment for use in cardiology, diagnostics, surgery, rheumatology, orthopaedics, urology, microbiology, dentistry, orthodontistry and animal health.