What will be Perugina's fate? The unions are worried because they fear that the entry of new shareholders in the parent company Nestlé could have negative repercussions on the Italian company. From the Swiss giant, however, they deny.
The fact remains that "in the last five years the group has significantly reduced production in Italy - says Mauro Macchiesi, national secretary of Flai CGIL - with sales of Rossana and Ore Liete candies, frozen Valle degli Orti, Mare Fresco, San Bernardo, Pejo, Recoaro and the ice creams. All this has meant a reduction in employees of around 24.5%. And the picture tends to deteriorate further due to the great uncertainty about the future of the Moretta (Cuneo) plant, the substantial blockage of the industrial plan for the relaunch of Perugina and the reorganization of central services".
Not only that: to the difficulties of Nestlé Italia "the corporate situation of Nestlé Mondo has been added - continues the trade unionist - The investment fund 'Third Point' has acquired 1,3% of all capital, thus becoming the largest shareholder of the group, and asked for a 5% increase in operating profitability, business review and the buyback of treasury shares, i.e. shifting enormous resources from investment projects to financial use for a three-year value of approximately 30 billion. Having decided that Nestlè's focus will be on the coffee, pet care, healthcare, water and baby food categories, what will happen in Italy in the chocolate sector? Perugina is set to go the way of the US chocolate and snack brands that are on sale. What will happen to the 60 million investment to make the Perugina plant an international chocolate hub?”.
On 27 September the second meeting for the future of Perugina will be held at the Ministry of Economic Development. “We hope not to have to witness the umpteenth game of redundancies and that a serious and credible industrial plan is presented by Nestlé Italia”, concludes Macchiesi.
An answer that seems reassuring arrives from the company: “No change of course”. The 60 million for the relaunch of the Perugina plant has therefore been confirmed. In reality, most of it is money that has already been spent, in line with the plan to relaunch the San Sisto and Perugina plants presented over a year ago.
“All the workers of the plant, as well as their union representatives, see every day that the renewal of the lines and machinery of the plant is proceeding within the timescales envisaged by the industrial plan - writes Nestlé - A serious and credible plan, which has been presented and more confirmed several times in various institutions, including institutional ones, and which is producing the first positive results in terms of sales and market shares, in Italy and abroad. For this reason, the affirmations of the National Secretary of the Flai CGIL, Mauro Macchiesi, are astonishing, all the more in light of the fact that in recent days the trade union representatives, called to discuss - as they themselves wished - on the subject of work, have denied the willingness to work on Saturday".
Nestlé underlines that “failure to accept the request – made to meet the additional production needs that are emerging with the new chocolate consumption season – will certainly not help the relaunch of the plant or the success of Perugina products. Indeed, it risks losing sales opportunities. Statements and stiffening like these do not help to find positive outlets for the employment situation of San Sisto and are the first to harm the workers themselves. We therefore hope that it will be possible to return to collaborative relations with the trade union representatives as soon as possible, to address the problems deriving from the transformation process in progress, already starting with the meeting requested by Nestlé for next 18 September in Confindustria Perugia ".
