'Bossnapping' as a Response to Redundancies

http://unionrenewal.blogspot.com/

Sunday, 20 May 2012

Nick Parsons (Cardiff University) has published a paper
on 'bossnappings' that occurred in France in 2009-2010
as a response to redundancies (layoffs). These actions
'appeared to be acceptable to a large part of the
population and tolerated by State apparatuses despite
the fact that kidnapping is a criminal offence
punishable by five years of imprisonment'.

Bossnappings in France, 2009-2010

When Company Action Outcome

14 Feb 2008 Kleber (Michelin) 2 managers taken
hostage for 3 days O2,500 redundancy payment per year
of service

March 2009 Sony, 3M, Continental, Caterpillar,
Scapa Managers held captive

April 2009 Faurecia Managers held for several hrs

April 2009 FM Logistics Managers held for
several hrs

20 April 2009 Molex Managers held for over 24
hrs

22 June 2009 Raguet 3 managers held for several
hrs Management agreed to renegotiate redundancy
conditions for 73 workers

21 July 2009 Alpharetta Managers held for several
hrs Management agreed to renegotiate redundancy terms

22 July 2009 Michelin Managers held for several hrs

9 Sept 2009 Giraud International HR manager
held for several hrs

January 2010 Akers 4 managers held for 24 hrs
Management signed agreement for redundancy payments

1 Feb 2010 Pier Import 2 managers held overnight

1 March 2010 Siemens VAI MT 2 managers held for 26
hrs Redundancy payments raised from O5,000 to
O25,000

10 March 2010 Sullair Europe Manager held
captive

Source: Nick Parsons

In fact, bossnappings were not only tolerated, but
frequently successful, as can be concluded from the
examples Parsons collected from French media reports.
While he does not say so, it would seem that media do
not always report the outcome of a conflict, so the
success rate may well be higher than the examples above
suggest.

According to Parsons, the response to the bossnappings
can in part be explained by a tradition that has its
roots in exclusion of the labour movement and a lack of
social dialogue, resulting in radicalisation of trade
unions. Early on, anarcho-syndicalism was an
influential current. Later, communism came to play an
important role. "Despite the growing
institutionalization of industrial relations in France,
weak collective bargaining structures reinforced a
tendency to labour militancy and an emphasis on
conflict rather than on collective bargaining."

However, Parsons argues that the bossnappings have to
some extent become part of an 'institutionalised game'.
For one thing, the violence against managers was
largely symbolic and they have never complained of ill
treatment. Further, demands had a limited scope:
"Although radical, the recent spate of 'bossnappings'
has not seen any demands, such as those that surfaced
in 1968, to expropriate the owners of industry and to
hand over private companies to workers or the State."

While Parsons argues that the bossnappings are rooted
in a specific French tradition, he suggests they may
also be part of a broader emergent social movement
against neoliberalism, along with the Spanish
indignados<, actions in Greece and factory occupations
in the UK.

Nick Parsons, Legitimizing Illegal Protest: The
Permissive Ideational Environment and 'Bossnappings' in
France. British Journal of Industrial Relations.
(Abstract)

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