Blog: why France backs the bossnappers

Three British executives became the latest bossnapping victims in France today when they were held along with a French colleague by workers protesting over redundancy payments.

In the fifth such incident this year, the managers of Scapa, which makes glues for the car industry, were detained at the factory in Bellegrade-sur-Valserine in central France which they are planning to close.

Derek Sherwin, the director of European Operations, was named as one of the hostages who were blocked in the plant after meeting unions for talks on Tuesday.

He was being held along with the company's personnel manager, Sandra Evans and David Entwistle, the finance director, France.

Jean-Paul Liaud, the general manager of Scapa France has also been bossnapped, according to unions, who said negotiations were due to resume later today.

"We expect the situation to be resolved today," said Ian Bushell, European finance director. "The company is seeking to resume negotiations in a peaceful way."

He added: "It was a great disappointment. We are aware that in France there was recently a number of circumstances in which unions have held hostages but it was not envisaged in our case, a number of meetings took place before."

A union representative told France Info radio that the hostages were being well treated. "They are free to come and go in the site but not to leave it. We have given them food and they are OK."

He said unions wanted a better redundancy package "because there is no chance of finding any other work around here."

With the Manchester-based firm's sales falling 34 per cent in December, it is planning to close the Bellegrade-sur-Valserine plant where 68 workers are employed.

Executives at Sony, the electronics giant, 3M, the scotch-tape manufacturer, Caterpillar, the heavy equipment specialist, and Michelin, the tyre maker, have all been held against their will by employees furious over redundancy plans in recent weeks.

The workers have widespread support, with an opinion poll finding that just seven per cent of French people are against such bossnappings.

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