Willy Wonka Nation

Plant workers display cultural openness, demonstrate why France is so appealing to foreign investment and business startups:

The British director of a French ice-cream factory was held hostage overnight by employees angry at job cuts, and was only freed after police stormed the building.

Such plucky forbearance, I frequently find myself thinking. I mean - for a minute there, they actually owned the means of production, at least the part of it that their sabotage made unproductive. Now, of course, somebody owes them.

"Some employees, despite being caught flagrantly holding a man hostage, physically opposed the police," said Yves Guillot, the local prefect.

"They tried to block a door. The police had to push to get through. There was a scuffle."

However, Alain Didelot, a union representative, said his members were "scared" and shocked" by the police action, adding that they "charged people like myself, aged 57".

A spokesman for Mr Prakesh, who was unavailable for comment, said that he "has been through some very difficult moments" and intented to press charges against one unionist for "xenophobic insults".

European trade union lefties have so much to illuminate the rest of humanity about racism, don’t they? Please, Mistress, may I have another lecture? Just shout me down one more time?