It’s normal for employees to have an emotional reaction when they find out they’re losing their jobs. But these workers went way beyond normal:
They held their supervisor hostage.
With half of the workforce facing elimination, employees at a 3M factory in Pithiviers, France, kept the plant’s manager locked in his own office for more than 24 hours.
Employees held Luc Rousselet hostage once severance package negotiations between the company and the union broke down. He has since been released and talks have continued, CNN reports.
Though it sounds unbelievable in the U.S., this behavior has become common in France as more companies go through mass layoffs. Last month, a manager at a French Sony plant was locked in an office until he agreed to reopen talks about severance pay.
A few weeks later, angry tire factory employees threw eggs at their boss after hearing the plant would close.
As for the 3M saga, the strangest part may be Rousselet’s reaction. After being let go, he said: “I am very happy for the employees of the Pihtiviers factory. I know that this was a very difficult layoff plan for them.”
