Unions representing Fiat workers in Italy voted Thursday to stage a four-hour strike nationwide on 3 February in the latest protest over the company’s decision to shut down its factory in Sicily.
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A union official told AFP that the Fiom, Fim, Uilm and Fismic unions had approved plans for Fiat’s 85,000 workers to down tools next month.
“We refuse to allow the closure of the factory,” Uilm’s Eros Panicali said.
Hundreds out of the approximately 1,400 staff at the Termini Imerese factory were already on strike this week.
Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne announced the closure last June to cut costs and insisted this week it would be closed despite strong opposition.
Meanwhile, Italian industry minister Claudio Scajola called a meeting with Fiat management and unions for 29 January to discuss the plant clouse.
He has set up taskforce at the Sicily factory to meet with Fiat and other Italian and foreign firms, Reuters reported.
Scajola is said to want the area to remain an auto industrial hub and has requested information from EU transport commissioner Antonio Tajani on state support to car sector in other countries.
