( CNN ) -- French workers on Thursday freed the manager of a factory run by U.S. company 3M held hostage in his office for more than 24 hours in a labor dispute over terms for laid-off staff . The manager of 3M 's French operations , Luc Rousselet , eats in his office while he was held hostage . Luc Rousselet , who was unharmed , was allowed to leave the plant in Pithiviers , central France , early on Thursday morning after talks between unions and officials from 3M France . `` We have an agreement with 3M that they will provide the means to respond to our demands , '' union representative Jean-Francois Caparros told news agency AFP . `` The negotiations will resume and that 's a very good thing , '' said Rousselet as he left an office where he took refuge on Tuesday afternoon . `` I am very happy for the employees of the Pithiviers factory . I know that this was a very difficult lay-off plan for them , '' he said as workers shouted `` Scoundrel boss ! '' Is there any justification for taking this action ? The 3M factory at the center of the dispute makes pharmaceutical products and employs 235 people . Of those 110 are being cut this year and 40 more are being transferred to another plant . Rousselet was briefing the laid-off workers about a compensation package but retreated to his office after feeling threatened . Maryse Bulte , 44 , one of the employees , said : `` Initially we did n't want to hold him . We just sought talks and concrete results . `` It was despair and distress which made us do this , '' added Cyril Foufelle , 36 . The manufacturer 3M , based in Minnesota , has announced thousands of job cuts around the world amid the economic downturn . Anger has been growing in the U.S. and Europe over job cuts and high bonuses for executives whose companies have been rescued with taxpayers ' money . Earlier this month the boss of Sony France was held overnight before workers freed him after he agreed to reopen talks on compensation when the factory closed . And last week angry tire factory workers threw eggs at their bosses in a protest over the closure of their plant . The drama at Pithiviers , about 80 kilometers ( 50 miles ) south of Paris , came as figures showed the number of jobless in France rose nearly 80,000 in February to reach 2.38 million . More than a million striking workers protested last week urging President Nicolas Sarkozy to do more to protect their jobs .
French workers free manager held hostage for 24 hours in labor dispute . 3M factory in dispute announced plans to lay off 110 workers . Anger growing in U.S. and Europe over job cuts and high bonuses .