The closure of the Whirlpool plant in Naples is confirmed, but postponed from March 31st at the 31 October. The news reached the 450 factory workers on Wednesday, while the table between the Government and the company was underway at the Ministry of Economic Development, chaired by Minister Stefano Patuanelli.
The American giant of washing machines points out that the Naples plant loses 20 million euros a year: “The market data are emblematic”, underlines the managing director of Whirlpool Italia, Luigi La Morgia, during the meeting at the Mise, explaining that in Naples “there is no longer economic sustainability of the production of washing machines“, but that Italy remains strategic for the group, with 5 employees throughout the country. The 17 million euros envisaged for the Whirlpool Naples site will be redistributed to the other establishments, announces La Morgia.
In light of these latest developments, Invitalia has already started looking for a new entity on behalf of the government to take over the American multinational. The goal is to arrive at the final selection of a possible investor for July 2020.
“From this moment, trade union relations with the company are broken. If the Government does not take a strong position, the Whirlpool affair becomes a matter of public order”, declares the secretary general Fiom-Cgil Naples, Rosario Rappa.
“In February the discussion on the Naples site will start again and a meeting on the whole group and all the sites – comments the secretary of the Fim-Cisl, Marco Bentivogli – For us, the company has the wrong industrial strategy, products and investments. Then he confirmed that these errors will unfairly lead to the downsizing of the group. By mid-February the debate must be reopened but on new and useful bases to ensure that Whirlpool rethinks the mistakes it is making in our country. Guarantees are needed for Naples and for the whole group”. Bentivogli also announces meetings and strikes in all Whirlpool establishments.
