AFP – Thousands of Stellantis workers went on strike yesterday and protested in Rome over temporary layoffs and production stoppages by the maker of Fiat and Jeep in Italy.
Unions called the group’s 40,000 employees in Italy and workers at its suppliers to observe a 24-hour national strike to demand job guarantees and the production of new models.
Some 15,000 demonstrators were expected for “a historic strike like there has not been for more than 40 years” in the factories of the former national flagship Fiat, union organisers said.
The Italian carmaker merged in 2014 with United States giant Chrysler, then with France’s Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) in 2021, to become the Stellantis group, with more than a dozen brands that include Alfa Romeo, Dodge and Maserati.After three years of growth, market conditions are now tough, including low demand for costly electric vehicles.
Production in Italy fell by 31.7 per cent to 387,600 vehicles in the first nine months of 2024, according to metallurgy union FIM-CISL, which said it was “the worst figure since 1956”.
It expects the company to produce “fewer than 500,000 vehicles” this year, compared to over 751,000 in 2023.
Production stoppages and temporary lay-offs have created tensions between the company and Rome.
Under increasingly political pressure, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares committed in July 2023 to increasing production to one million units by 2030.
