French 3M workers, who on Tuesday barricaded their boss in an office in protest at jobs cuts, have released their prisoner following successful negotiations to secure more cash for redundancy packages.

3M decided to shed 110 jobs at the pharmaceutical products plant at Pithiviers, near Orleans, due to falling demand. The plan cost industrial director Luc Rousselet more than a day confined behind a wardrobe by employees demanding "more money for departing staff, guarantees for those remaining and salary payment for those who had gone on strike over the redundancy plan".

During his ordeal, Rousselet told Reuters: "These people have more to complain about than me and I knew there was this risk when I came here."

Happily, AFP now reports that after hours of wrangling around the negotiating table, the two sides have reached an accord. Caparros said: "We have an agreement with 3M to provide funds to respond to our demands." ®

Related stories

• CIOs get £170k but helpdesk staffers settle for £6/hr (31 July 2009)
• Explosive French workers threaten second factory (15 July 2009)
• French workers threaten to blow up factory (13 July 2009)
• HP packing workers seal bosses in conference room (17 April 2009)
• French adhesive workers stick it to Brit boss (8 April 2009)
• Brief Workers take Caterpillar Inc managers hostage (31 March 2009)
• French 3M workers barricade boss in office (25 March 2009)
• Updated Sacked French Sony workers hold chief exec hostage (13 March 2009)
• Sacked Indian workers beat chief exec to death (23 September 2008)