Paris - Workers at a French factory producing industrial adhesives have taken hostage a number of executives to protest the planned closing of the site, the daily Le Progres reported Wednesday.

The standoff began on Tuesday, when the representatives of management of the Scapa group, which owns the factory, traveled to the site in the south-eastern town of Bellgarde-sur-Valserine to discuss the conditions of the closure.

The factory's 60 employees immediately went on strike in protest, and then prevented the managers from leaving. France Info radio reported Wednesday that the managers were still being held captive in the factory.

The is the latest incident of this kind, with employees of French factories belonging to Sony, Caterpillar and 3M having held executives hostage in recent weeks to attempt to avoid mass layoffs or to negotiate better severance payments.

According to a poll made public on Tuesday, nearly half of all French adults approve of this tactic.(dpa)