STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with layoffs at IBM.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The giant computer services company is expected to announce layoffs of about 5,000 workers. That's around four percent of IBM's workforce here in the United States. The cuts will mostly be in the global IT services division and many of the positions will be transferred to India. IBM is reducing costs, part of a longer term strategy to reduce the workforce in the U.S. and increase its staff in places where wages are lower.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: In France, workers have their own way of dealing with job cuts. A local manager for the U.S. technology company 3M was temporarily held hostage by workers who were upset over layoffs. So they barricaded the French manager in an office, until he agreed to more favorable conditions, which he did. Locking up managers is becoming a bit of a tradition in French labor disputes, and police tends to stay out of the way. A similar incident took place earlier this month at a Sony factory in Southwest France.
IBM, the nation's biggest technology employer, is expected to announce layoffs of about 5,000 workers, or 4 percent of its U.S. workforce. Many of the positions will be transferred to India. In France, workers have their own way of dealing with job cuts. A local manager for the U.S. technology company 3M was temporarily held hostage by workers who were upset over layoffs.