Fiat’s largest union has denounced as “illegitimate and unacceptable” an agreement signed by the automaker’s other labour representatives.

The Italian manufacturer is asking its workforce to accept a productivity improvement deal in exchange for transferring new Panda work to its Pomigliano d’Arco plant near Naples, but the FIOM union is claiming the agreement is “blackmail.”

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FIOM’s ire has been provoked by Fiat explicitly linking acceptance of the productivity deal – which could see more flexible working shifts introduced – to production of the Panda model that envisages raising volume to around 300,000 units per year.

“We are against the blackmail by Fiat,” a FIOM spokesman told just-auto. “We say this because if you say yes [to the deal] the plant will go on and if you say no, the plant will close.

“We think the separate [other unions] agreement is illegitimate and unacceptable.”

Fiat is now putting its formal deal to the workforce in a referendum on 22 June, but even this has angered FIOM, although it is urging its members to vote “to avoid reprisals.”

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“This is not a referendum about union actions, it is about what the company says,” added the FIOM spokesman. “But there is a big but here. The assembly [union] says to the plant workers, it will be better to vote in the referendum to avoid reprisals.”

The union will now also launch a series of wildcat strikes, although these will be walkouts of only around one hour around Fiat’s sites.

FIOM shop stewards are equally putting out a ‘solidarity’ document today (17 June) to explain the union position.

A Fiat spokeswoman confirmed four unions had signed the agreement, but that FIOM had declined to do so.