Employees of Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies have held co-founder Chip Starnes hostage in his factory on the outskirts of Beijing since Friday, refusing to release him until they receive severance packages, The Wall Street Journal reported. The workers have locked windows and parked cars in front of the factory’s gates, refusing to talk to the media. Starnes said the 80 workers holding him under duress have misunderstood his intention to move part of his operation to India, instead believing that he will close the factory entirely. Work disputes are increasingly common in China due to concerns over the country’s slowing growth.