Fiat and its unions have been called to a meeting today (5 February) in Rome as industrial unrest continues to dog the Italian automaker concerning plans to close its Termini Imerese plant in Sicily.
The Italian ministry of economics summoned Fiat and the four unions involved to Rome in an attempt to find a solution to the strike action which has seen workers walk out at several factories across the country.
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Fiat wants to shut its Termini plant and transfer assembly of Lancia Ypsilon vehicles to Poland as it maintains it loses around EUR1,000 (US$1,370) per car, but the union vehemently opposes the move which will inevitably lead to job losses.
“We know the company says it loses money on every car,” a spokesman for the Fiom-Cgil union told just-auto from Italy. “In 2007 Fiat said its plan was to make the Termini plant bigger to more or less 5,000 people.
“At Termini there is only the assembly line but the components are produced elsewhere for the Ypsilon – this is why the cost is high. The union would like the components to be produced in Sicily.”
The Fiom-Cgil noted today’s Rome meeting was the first in several such three-way talks and stressed the economic importance of the Termini plant to the island of Sicily.
“It is very complex because there is the economic crisis, the future of the automotive industry and its global shape. There is also the crisis in the southern part of Italy,” he said.
Sporadic industrial action is still taking place following a major walkout on Wednesday, with the majority of employees at Fiat’s FMA Pratola Serra factory in Avellino downing tools. Fiom said “several hundred workers” were demonstrating outside the Prefecture in Avellino.
Fiat did not comment.
