Employees at JLG Industries, a manufacturer of construction equipment, had demanded that the company pay extra money to laid-off workers. They then positioned a ring of gas canisters around five new lifts, removing them only when managers agreed to talks.
“We were proposing compensation of 30,000 euros above the legal minimum for the 53 people who are going to lose their jobs,” said Christian Amadio, head of the works council at JLG in southwestern Tonneins.
“We obtained what we were asking for,” he said, adding that a deal was signed overnight with management. “It’s a shame we had to go so far to obtain a result.”
Earlier this week carmaker company Renault refused to meet the demands of workers who threatened to explode gas canisters inside their factory.
Then, laid-off workers at telecoms firm Nortel Networks near Paris made a similar threat before backing down the following day.
