Molex: French workers demanded $130 million to free managers

Molex Inc. said French workers asked for 100 million euros ($130 million) to set free two managers held hostage to protest against job cuts.

"If the workers' cause is respectable, the means used are intolerable," Molex, a Lisle-based maker of electrical components for cars, said in an e-mailed statement today. "Kidnapping is a crime. Companies cannot become a lawless place."

Molex employees detained Marcus Kerriou, the co-manager of Molex's French unit, and Coline Colboc, head of human resources, for 24 hours to protest the company shifting production to other sites from the plant in Villemur-sur-Garde, central France. The company denies such a move.

"We are very shocked by the experience, which proved to be extremely painful both physically and psychologically," Kerriou was cited as saying in today's statement, after both managers were released yesterday.

The last two months have witnessed rising labor unrest in France and an increased number of "bossnappings," with managers at U.S. companies Caterpillar Inc., 3M Co., British gluemaker Scapa Group Plc and Japan's Sony Corp. also held hostages to force negotiations. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said today the state will crack down on such actions.

Molex "more than ever before" wants to resume negotiations with its employees, the company said.