PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls trod a fine line on Thursday over jail sentences handed to eight former factory workers for imprisoning their bosses in their offices, calling the decision tough but fair.
The widely-reported episode at a Goodyear tyre factory in 2014, dubbed "boss-napping" by foreign media, was part of a protest over lay-off terms for sacked workers. It came as France's Socialist government embarked on a more pro-business tack, and as an economic downturn cost jobs.
Labour reforms have continued, angering some trade unionists and others who see them as a betrayal of the pro-worker platform that brought French President Francois Hollande to power in 2012.
As the court handed down the sentences - two years apiece, of which each should serve at least nine months - the protesters said they would appeal, and that the government was making an example of them for political purposes.
With one eye on a bid for Hollande's re-election in 2017, Hollande and Valls need to woo trade unionist supporters again.
However, they also need to show other voters and investors that they are improving industrial relations in France and curbing the ability of interest groups such as unions, farmers and taxi-drivers to get their way by breaking the law without penalty.
"This decision was tough, undeniably," Valls said in parliament.
"It needs to be respected while still measuring, and we measure it fully, the shock for the trade unionists who were sentenced, for the workers and the families of this company."
Valls continued: "Union action is always respectable (but) not everything is permissible, even when the social pain inflicted is significant. Everybody knows how difficult this case is and can perfectly understand the despair the workers felt."
The Goodyear incident took place in January 2014. A production manager at the U.S. company's tyre plant in Amiens, northern France, and a human resources director were held for almost 30 hours after a meeting between management and the CGT union ended on strong disagreements.
Goodyear closed its plant shortly afterwards and some 1,143 staff were laid off.
In another blow to France's industrial relations image, protesters tore the shirt off the back of an Air France executive in a protest over job cuts last October.
The company reacted a month later by sacking four workers over their role in the violence.