Ikea offers to meet with French labor leaders

(AP) — Ikea offered Wednesday to meet with labor union leaders after strikes shut down several stores in France — but only if six workers end a sit-in at its Paris office first.

The Swedish home furnishings giant was forced to temporarily close five Paris area stores this week after their workers walked off the job starting Saturday in protest over pay, company officials said.

The stores had all reopened by Wednesday, said Isabelle Cremoux, a spokeswoman for Ikea in France.

Force Ouvriere (Workers' Force), one of three unions taking part in the walkout, said on its Web site that some staffers were leading a sit-in at the Ikea France headquarters "to make the talks move forward," according to Force Ouvriere representative Dominique Nikonoff.

Cremoux said Ikea was ready to take part in talks with the unions — on the condition that six workers who have camped out in the headquarters leave.