Chinese factory workers let go their American employer on Thursday, after holding him hostage in a cramped office with windows on the bar for a week over a labor dispute.
Chip Starnes, the president of Specialty Medical Supplies just outside Beijing, is now resting at a nearby hotel, a company spokesman said, The Guardian in London reported.
“As of now, my boss Chip feels exhausted after two harsh days and has gone back to a hotel, OK? This is all I have to say,” said the company’s general manager, to Reuters.
His workers had taken him captive over demands for better severance deals, The Guardian reported.
“The mass labor dispute incident for this unit has been resolved,” said Chu Lixian, the head of the Huairou District Labor Union’s rights and interests department. “Both sides have come to an agreement through joint efforts made by Mr. Starnes and the workers’ side. The results have turned out to be satisfactory.”
The specifics of the deal weren’t given in the media report.
The workers made their demands after hearing rumors that the factory was closing. The rumors were untrue, company executives said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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