Bosses held overnight by protesting French workers

French workers are increasingly turning to direct action to protest against job losses as the economic crisis deepens.

Companies affected in recent weeks have included the earthmoving equipment maker Caterpillar at Grenoble, where senior directors were held overnight in protest at the company’s plans to cut 733 jobs at two plants. At the retail group PPR, the chief executive was held surrounded in a taxi for an hour after he left a meeting to discuss plans to cut 1,200 jobs at the record and book chain FNAC, and the furniture chain Conforama. And at the tyre company Continental, a planned meeting with employee representatives had to be moved to Nice following earlier protests.

At the company Manitowoc Cranes, the local leadership of the two largest union confederations, CGT and CFDT, has called on workers to occupy their factories to protest against job losses.

Senior directors were also held overnight by employees at Sony France and 3M — but this time to press for improved redundancy terms.

The actions follow the union-organised demonstrations across France on 19 March, which were even larger than the protest on 29 January (see Labour Research March 2009, page 8). The next major demonstration is planned for 1 May.

Jean-Claude Mailly, general secretary of FO, the third largest union confederation, is in no doubt about what lies ahead. He said that “there are going to be hard struggles and they will be supported”.