Nationwide industrial action by Italian lorry drivers has thrown Fiat production into chaos as motorway blockades stop component deliveries.
Drivers are protesting against the new Italian government’s sweeping range of austerity measures, including fuel tax increases, designed to curb the country’s leviathan debt mountain, that some commentators have put at EUR1.3tn (US$1.6tn).
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“The plants at Mirafiori, Cassino, Melfi and Pomigliano D’Arco are closed as we do not receive components,” a Fiat spokeswoman told just-auto from Turin. “This is a result of the truck drivers’ action.
“The strike is until the end of the week, but we are not sure because it is not a Fiat strike. The strike is because of a new tax on fuel and everything – not just fuel – this is because of the austerity measures in Italy. Fiat can’t do anything.”
The Italian automaker has told its staff at the affected plants to stay at home while the blockade continues, with no firm date yet available when normal component delivery can resume.
“The drivers are blocking traffic on motorways all over Italy,” said the Fiat spokeswoman. “There is a lot of disruption. Even fuel, we don’t [have] fuel, it is becoming a little chaos.”
The CISL union confirmed the industrial action, but was unable to give further details.
