For bankrupt Nortel which is one the verge of being taken over by NSN and some other players things are increasingly getting desperate to handle. Workers at its Châteaufort unit near Paris have threatened to blow up the about to be close down R& D centre.

The workers said that they were prepared to detonate gas canisters around the building. It was only during the talks with company as well as government officials that the workers union representatives admitted that the threat to blow up was only a hoax. The workers demanded a better severance package from the company.

The area witnessed second such threat within a week’s time as earlier workers at a auto unit had threatened to blow up their plant.

 Nortel has put the plant in liquidation in May and 470 employees at the plant face termination if no buyer turns up till August.

“Our security team is keeping a close eye on the situation and the site will be reopened as soon as it is practical to do so.” Discussions to resolve the situation are continuing,” said Nortel in a statement.