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French Workers Hold Goodyear Managers Over Jobs Goodyear Managers Held by French Workers Then Released
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — When negotiations broke down this weekend at a Goodyear tire factory slated for closing in northern France, employees resorted to a brazen tactic to get management’s attention: They kidnapped the bosses.PARIS — When negotiations broke down this weekend at a Goodyear tire factory slated for closing in northern France, employees resorted to a brazen tactic to get management’s attention: They kidnapped the bosses.
On Tuesday, hundreds of employees at the plant in Amiens were holding two senior executives captive for the second day. Union leaders threatened to keep them sequestered until the company agreed to pay out “huge amounts of money” to workers in exchange for shuttering the factory. On Tuesday, for a second day, hundreds of employees at the plant in Amiens held two senior executives captive before the men were released in the afternoon when police intervened. Union leaders had threatened to keep them sequestered until the company agreed to pay out “huge amounts of money” to workers in exchange for shuttering the factory.
A tense standoff between employees and management had been going on for more than a year. Various episodes verging on violence — including the mass burning of tires, and workers’ blocking the assembly line — flared up regularly as unions sought to prevent a total closing of the factory, which would wipe out about 1,200 jobs. Earlier Tuesday, a court in Amiens had appointed a bailiff to ensure “the security and free movement of goods and people” at the factory.
The “boss-napping” revived a sort of guerrilla theater that was used at several companies including Caterpillar and Sony at the height of the financial crisis as workers despaired about layoffs and cutbacks. So far, the French government has shown no sign of stepping in, but on Tuesday, a court in Amiens appointed a bailiff to ensure “the security and free movement of goods and people” at the factory, a move that paves the way for possible police intervention. A tense standoff between employees and management had been going on for more than a year. Various episodes verging on violence — including the mass burning of tires, and workers’ blocking the assembly line — flared up regularly as unions sought to prevent a planned closing of the factory, which would wipe out about 1,200 jobs.
The workers’ tactic may not help with overall concerns about France as a place to do business. As a debate resurfaces over whether France is in danger of becoming the next sick man of Europe, the Goodyear factory has become one of the most potent symbols of challenges that companies face. France’s rigid labor market and the influence that labor unions hold over the workplace have long been a source of aggravation. The imminent closing of the Goodyear factory — the latest in a series of mass layoffs at large companies across France — underscores the economic consequences for workers in a country that is grappling with a decline in competitiveness. The “boss-napping” revived a sort of guerrilla theater that was used at several companies including Caterpillar and Sony at the height of the financial crisis as workers despaired about layoffs and cutbacks.
Goodyear said in a statement that it was refusing to negotiate with the unions as long as the managers were being held against their will. Condemning the action, the company said it was “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 workers’ tactic may not help with overall concerns about France as a place to do business. As a debate resurfaces over whether France is in danger of becoming the next sick man of Europe, the Goodyear factory has become one of the most potent symbols of challenges that companies face. France’s rigid labor market and the influence that labor unions hold over the workplace have long been a source of aggravation.
The workers are unlikely to find any other job once the factory is closed and are pressing for severance packages of 80,000 euros, or about $110,000, plus €2,500 for each year worked, before they will set the bosses free. The imminent closing of the Goodyear factory — the latest in a series of mass layoffs at large companies across France — underscores the economic consequences for workers in a country that is grappling with a decline in competitiveness.
Goodyear had said that it refused to negotiate with the unions as long as the managers were being held against their will. It condemned the action and said it was “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 workers are unlikely to find any other job once the factory is closed and were pressing for severance packages of 80,000 euros, or about $110,000, plus €2,500 for each year worked, before the bosses were freed.
The issue had flared last year after the chief executive of an American tire company, Titan, responded to a government request to step in and buy the plant, partly in order to help avoid mass layoffs.The issue had flared last year after the chief executive of an American tire company, Titan, responded to a government request to step in and buy the plant, partly in order to help avoid mass layoffs.
“How stupid do you think we are?” Maurice Taylor Jr., the head of Titan International, responded to the country’s industry minister, Arnaud Montebourg, in a letter published in French newspapers last February. Mr. Taylor, who had wanted to buy some of the operation, eventually gave up, saying he had had numerous confrontations with unions over the plant’s workers, whom he described as loafers who generated little productivity.“How stupid do you think we are?” Maurice Taylor Jr., the head of Titan International, responded to the country’s industry minister, Arnaud Montebourg, in a letter published in French newspapers last February. Mr. Taylor, who had wanted to buy some of the operation, eventually gave up, saying he had had numerous confrontations with unions over the plant’s workers, whom he described as loafers who generated little productivity.
Once he pulled away, there was no other buyer in sight, and the factory was eventually slated for closing with the loss of all 1,173 jobs.Once he pulled away, there was no other buyer in sight, and the factory was eventually slated for closing with the loss of all 1,173 jobs.
Late last year, Mr. Montebourg again reached out to Mr. Taylor — nicknamed “the Grizz” by Wall Street analysts for his abrasive negotiating and management style — in an attempt to lure him back to the bargaining table. But Mr. Taylor has so far not made a firm commitment and Goodyear began winding down the operation, starting with notices of redundancy to be issued this month.Late last year, Mr. Montebourg again reached out to Mr. Taylor — nicknamed “the Grizz” by Wall Street analysts for his abrasive negotiating and management style — in an attempt to lure him back to the bargaining table. But Mr. Taylor has so far not made a firm commitment and Goodyear began winding down the operation, starting with notices of redundancy to be issued this month.
Late Monday, Mr. Taylor said he was appalled by the latest vigilante action at the factory, in which workers rolled giant farm tractor wheels in to block the doors to the room where the managers were being held.Late Monday, Mr. Taylor said he was appalled by the latest vigilante action at the factory, in which workers rolled giant farm tractor wheels in to block the doors to the room where the managers were being held.
“In the United States, we call this a kidnapping,” he told Europe 1 Radio. “These people would be arrested and prosecuted. This is a very serious crime, you would risk life imprisonment. But in France, your government does nothing — it’s crazy.”“In the United States, we call this a kidnapping,” he told Europe 1 Radio. “These people would be arrested and prosecuted. This is a very serious crime, you would risk life imprisonment. But in France, your government does nothing — it’s crazy.”
But in France, there is a certain sympathy with workers who see their livelihood eroded.But in France, there is a certain sympathy with workers who see their livelihood eroded.
“We must acknowledge that the life of these people is going to stop. We’re talking about families with children, people who won’t have any more revenue, and older people who will never find new work,” Pierre Laurent, the national secretary of the P.C.F., the French communist party, told the French radio station RTL. “They have enriched the country, they have worked for France. We can’t just throw them outside with nothing.”“We must acknowledge that the life of these people is going to stop. We’re talking about families with children, people who won’t have any more revenue, and older people who will never find new work,” Pierre Laurent, the national secretary of the P.C.F., the French communist party, told the French radio station RTL. “They have enriched the country, they have worked for France. We can’t just throw them outside with nothing.”
The managers being held — Bernard Glesser, the director of human resources at the Amiens plant, and Michel Dheilly, the director of production — were permitted to be filmed by journalists and speak with their families. They appeared mostly at ease, smiling and consulting their cellphones, as workers milled about and occasionally shouted at them. Before they were released, the two managers — Bernard Glesser, the director of human resources at the Amiens plant, and Michel Dheilly, the director of production — were filmed by journalists and spoke with their families. They appeared mostly at ease, smiling and consulting their cellphones, as workers milled about and occasionally shouted at them.
“When we are kept against our will and forced to submit to humiliations and insults, we are not being well treated,” Mr. Glesser said in a video posted on the French business news site BFM.“When we are kept against our will and forced to submit to humiliations and insults, we are not being well treated,” Mr. Glesser said in a video posted on the French business news site BFM.
Franck Jurek, a member of the militant Confédération Générale du Travail union, said that workers were still holding out hope that a buyer would emerge for the factory. “Even if we have to wait three or four days, they are not getting out,” he said. Franck Jurek, a member of the militant Confédération Générale du Travail union, said that workers were holding out hope that a buyer would emerge for the factory. “Even if we have to wait three or four days, they are not getting out,” he said.
In 2009, workers in France engaged in a series of boss-nappings. Employees took executives of Caterpillar hostage temporarily when talks over revamping the company’s operation broke down. Workers trapped François-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of PPR, the group that owns Gucci, in his car that same year, while bosses at 3M and Sony were also held against their will in an attempt to get strong severance packages.In 2009, workers in France engaged in a series of boss-nappings. Employees took executives of Caterpillar hostage temporarily when talks over revamping the company’s operation broke down. Workers trapped François-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of PPR, the group that owns Gucci, in his car that same year, while bosses at 3M and Sony were also held against their will in an attempt to get strong severance packages.
The standoff comes with unemployment in France near 11 percent, up from 10 percent a year ago, and the French economy showing signs of slipping back into a shallow recession. The standoff came amid unemployment in France that is near 11 percent, up from 10 percent a year ago, and an economy showing signs of slipping back into a shallow recession.
The French government has frantically sought to avoid large-scale layoffs. Mr. Montebourg had even brandished the threat of nationalization to try to save jobs at the steel giant ArcelorMittal in 2011, calling the management liars who were not welcome in France. Last year, Air France-KLM, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Alcatel-Lucent and Sanofi all announced major job cuts, though with far fewer fireworks than those that have been set off at the Goodyear site.The French government has frantically sought to avoid large-scale layoffs. Mr. Montebourg had even brandished the threat of nationalization to try to save jobs at the steel giant ArcelorMittal in 2011, calling the management liars who were not welcome in France. Last year, Air France-KLM, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Alcatel-Lucent and Sanofi all announced major job cuts, though with far fewer fireworks than those that have been set off at the Goodyear site.