Fiat has declined to comment on suggestions in Italy that CEO Sergio Marchionne is to make an imminent announcement on the future of its Pomigliano d’Arco plant near Naples.

The Fiat boss flew to Detroit last week but the Italian manufacturer is refusing to say if he has returned to make any decision concerning the future of the Pomigliano factory.

A referendum last week saw 62% of the Pomigliano workforce vote in favour of a change in working practices.

There had been speculation Fiat might make a statement today (29 June) on the site’s future that could involve new Panda work transferring from Poland in exchange for more flexible working practices, but the manufacturer is remaining tight-lipped.

Despite Fiat’s silence on the issue, one of its unions involved in the Pomigliano negotiations says there are several possible scenarios depending on which rumour is to be believed.

[There are] “Rumours Marchionne will come back to Italy and put out a statement, others say when he arrives he will go to Poland as a Fiat delegation is [already] there, others that the delegation will go to Poland in the first half of this week but without Marchionne,” a FIOM spokesman told just-auto.

“There are many rumours and no event. Nobody really knows what will happen.”

FIOM did confirm however, it was to hold a meeting this Thursday of shop stewards from the Fiat Group as well as those from the Italian metallurgy industry including Electrolux and Finmeccanica.

“There is no development,” a Fiat spokesman told just-auto. “We are planning to meet the unions to take this forward, but at the moment we have nothing new to discuss.”