September 24, 2024 10:35 AM
Most of Stellantis plants in Italy saw a steep output decline in the first half, according to data by FIM-CISL union.
Fiat 500e production in Mirafiori.
MILAN — Italian major unions called for a one day strike on Oct. 18 for metal workers at Stellantis and its local suppliers to protest against the automaker’s falling production in the country, the UILM union said.
Most of Stellantis plants in Italy saw a steep output decline in the first half, according to data by FIM-CISL union, with an overall 25 percent decline.
Projections are now for just over 500,000 vehicles produced by Stellantis in Italy in the full-year, from 751,000 in 2023, FIM-CISL has said.
“The situation is bad, very bad,” UILM’s Rocco Palombella said at a press conference on Sept. 24 with the leaders of FIOM and FIM-CISL, the two other main metalworkers unions in Italy.
Operations at Stellantis’ Italian factories have been repeatedly halted in recent months, mainly due to poor market demand, especially for electric vehicles, with workers put on furlough programs, partly funded by public money.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist government has for months been at loggerheads with Stellantis,which owns the Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati Italian brands, accusing the automaker of neglecting its historic production bases in Italy.
The government is in talks with Stellantis, the country’s sole major automaker, to boost Italian production to 1 million vehicles a year by the end of this decade, but there has been no agreement so far.
In the meantime, Rome has also started talks with Chinese automakers to attract new manufacturers to join Stellantis, Italy’s sole major automaker.
Palombella said unions had doubts about the government’s strategy to attract a new automaker while asking Stellantis to increase its output, amid weak market demand.
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