The group of Montceau-les-Mines employees locked up four managers on Tuesday, including the plant director. The workers were displeased with the management's decision to cut some 1,000 jobs at the plant.
Although the execs were released early on Wednesday, Michelin spokeswoman Fabienne de Brebisson said they have managed to cause serious damage to the administrative building, braking windows and damaging bathrooms.
"We condemned all acts of violence or situations of blackmail", French finance minister Christine Lagarde was quoted as saying by France 2 television. "What works is dialogue."
Indeed, yet what these discontent workers don't seem to get is that resorting to violence doesn't help their cause. Although getting fired or getting a pay cut is not exactly what makes your day, be sure of the fact that tying up your boss, or threatening to blow up his business is NOT the way to make him change his mind.
"Gas bottles have already been placed in various parts of the factory and are connected to each other. If Renault and PSA refuse to give us that money it could blow up before the end of the month," CGT New Fabris union official Guy Eyermann threatened last week, when his posse needed to convince Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen to pay each of them 30,000 euro in compensation.
Of course, the French take advantage of their government's policy not to get involved in such matters. Had the authorities tried what the North Koreans tried at SsangYong's Pyeongtaek facility...
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