French 'hostage' freed after redundancy deal

Workers at a factory in France run by US technology firm 3M today freed a manager they had held hostage for more than 24 hours after reaching a deal on conditions for laid-off staff.

The French industrial director of the group, Luc Rousselet, was barricaded in an office on Tuesday evening. Workers had refused to let him out until he agreed to more favourable terms for the 110 employees who face the axe at the plant in Pithiviers, south of Paris. "A framework of an agreement allowing for the end of the current crisis on the 3M site in Pithiviers was signed today," a union representative said.

Unions were demanding more money for departing staff, guarantees for those remaining and payment of salaries for those who went on strike.

Mr Rousselet left his office early today to boos from about 20 workers.

Earlier this month employees at a Sony factory in south-west France detained the chief executive and human resources director of the Japanese group's French arm overnight and eventually secured better terms for staff facing dismissal.