'Boss-Napping': Two Held At French Factory

Workers at a Goodyear tyre plant in France have resorted to 'boss-napping' and taken captive two bosses inside a factory the company wants to close.

The seizure of the senior managers at the site in Amiens, which the firm has been trying to sell or shutdown for five years, sees a revival of the once-common hostage-taking tactic.

Regarded as more theatre than actual threat, it aims to put pressure on management.

Sylvain Niel, a labour lawyer who has worked on similar issues, said the tactic had largely faded away because any agreements reached under duress, were later voided by the courts.

He described it as an act of despair by workers "without room to manoeuvre."

Workers at the French site are pressing for better redundancy payouts.

Mickael Wamen, the union president, told French television: "Clearly it was no longer possible to keep fighting for our jobs, so we decided to change tactics and fight for the largest compensation possible."

In exchange for freeing the managers, they are demanding an €80,000 (£66,500) severance package plus €2,500 (£2,000) for each year worked.

Both the Goodyear plant's director and human resources chief were kept captive in the factory overnight.

The plant has a particularly contentious past, and has seen violent protests against the closure, including the burning of tyres and firing of paintballs at police.

Those being held are Bernard Glesser, the director of human resources, and the head of production Michel Dheilly.

Mr Glesser told journalists: "We've been stuck in this room for three or four hours, and it's out of the question that I respond to questions under pressure."

He provoked anger when he said while he did not fear for his safety, the situation was "completely disagreeable" and he was being insulted and humiliated.

"You haven't been humiliating us for seven years?" one worker shouted.

Evelyne Becker, a union representative, said the two were prevented  from leaving after a stormy meeting with staff.

Goodyear confirmed the two managers were being held against their will.

In a statement, Goodyear said: "This kind of initiative, always to be condemned, is especially inopportune and counterproductive at a time when we should concentrate on the future of employees affected by the restructuring, after several years looking for a solution."

The factory and its nearly 1,200 workers has become symbolic of France's labour issues.

Workers have seized on Goodyear's profitability in their fight against the factory closure, but the company says profit margins have been slipping for years and the business in Europe is not sustainable.

The union said in a statement: "We just want to continue to work and not swell the ranks of the unemployed and marginalised, and if for that we have to resort to extreme methods, we won't hesitate to do that."

In the wake of the global financial crisis back in 2009, a number of large companies in France were hit by 'boss-nappings' including 3M, Sony, Caterpillar and a Hewlett-Packard subsidiary.

The incidents, which usually last from a few hours to a couple of days, are punishable under French law by five years in prison and a €75,000 (£62,000) fine - as long as the boss goes free in under a week, but generally workers are not prosecuted.

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