The Fim-Cisl raises the alarm on the energy transition, on the trend of Italian production in the Stellantis group and calls on the government to urgently address the decisions regarding the Gigafactory announced by the Termoli group. He is concerned, Salvatore Uliano - head of the automotive sector of Fim-Cisl after the last, very recent interview of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. And in a press release he points out the nodes to be addressed in the group.
First of all, “the production of Stellantis engines in 2021 with around 637.400 engines produced does not improve the 2020 figure, strongly conditioned by the production block caused by the lockdown. In the last 5 years the production of traditional engines has suffered an overall loss in Italian production of 35%, while determining a reduction in employment of more than 1.174 workers, if we also consider the employment lost in the mechanical factories of Mirafiori and Verrone closely linked to the production of traditional engines”.
The ban on combustion engines in cars decided for 2035 and that in 2040 for commercial vehicles "impose in the short term choices necessary for the re-industrialization of factories and for the reconversion of workers' professional skills. The time span we have before us is very narrow”, underlines Uliano.
Furthermore, "the same objectives announced by Stellantis by 2030 - 70% of electricity in production for Europe and 40% for the USA - highlight the need and urgency to identify guarantees for the future prospects of over 7.000 workers in Italy of the group that operate on traditional engines, a number that doubles if we also consider the related industries”.
Uliano recalls the recent visit of Carlos Tavares to the Termoli and Pratola Serra plants and recalls the objectives set out by the group regarding the conversion to the electric car: "The CEO of Stellantis - the Fim-Cisl statement continues - was clear on the issue incentives for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles. The cost of an electric car is more than 50% of that with traditional engines, parity in costs will be reached in the next three/four without support for demand there will be negative repercussions on production volumes and restructuring with social repercussions. On the Gigafactory it is not clear why the Group and the Government have not yet managed to conclude the agreement positively in seven months".
Hence the pressing request for the urgent convening of a Stellantis table at the Ministry of Economic Development. At the center is the question of construction of the Gigafactory in Termoli which has been awaiting decisions from the executive and the company since June. A situation of indeterminacy which, according to the union, harms the employees and the country, especially now that the group is about to present the new industrial plan.
“Without Gigafactory – concludes Uliano – in perspective all the establishments are at risk. On Termoli we will have to discuss the plan industry of the Gigafactory in detail: start of investment, scope of employment protection, governance of the transition, training courses for the change of professional skills". The games remain open on Pratola Serra and VM of Cento (where the Euro 7 B22 and V6 diesel engines are produced, respectively) and on two plants that work on gearboxes: Mirafiori and Verroro, closely interested in the change of engine. The union also draws the attention of the government and the group to these plants and re-launches the urgency and importance of a discussion table on how to govern the process. Calling attention to the need to direct the financial results and savings obtained also thanks to "the contribution of the workers" towards a management of change that secures factories and employment.
