Fiat has poured cold water on suggestions it might have a ‘plan C’ ahead of tomorrow’s (22 June) crucial working conditions vote at its Pomigliano d’Arco plant near Naples.
Rumours in Italy have suggested that Fiat could close the Pomigliano plant and take its 5,200 workers back on under new contracts but the Italian automaker has dismissed the concept.
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“When [Sergio] Marchionne announced there was a plan B and it was not a nice one, they [unions] obviously thought there was a D,E,F and G,” a Fiat spokesman in Italy told just-auto.
Tomorrow’s vote will see the Pomigliano workforce vote on new, flexible working arrangements which, if accepted, could see Fiat transfer work on the new Panda from its Polish plant to the Italian site and increase production to around 300,000 units per year.
Four out of Fiat’s five main unions have agreed to the new working practices that could see extra shifts introduced but the FIOM labour organisation is holding out against the deal – although it is recommending its members attend the vote tomorrow.
“Everyone else has signed up,” said the Fiat spokesman. “It is just FIOM, which is a sort of communist union.
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By GlobalData“The problem is that even though the FIOM membership at Pomigliano is quite small, it could cause wildcat strikes and create disruption for the sport of it.”
Nonetheless, FIOM is using strong language to denounce the referendum tomorrow with national co-ordinator Enzo Masini branding it “illegal,” although advising his members to vote.
