(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 18 - Approximately 20,000 people attended
a demonstration organized in Rome by metalworkers' unions
Fim-Cisl, Fiom-Cgil and Uilm-Uil together with a one-day strike
for workers with Italian-French carmaker Stellantis and the
entire automotive sector, organizers said at the rally in Piazza
del Popolo.
The leaders of Italy's three main labour unions Cgil, Cisl and
Uil - Maurizio Landini, Luigi Sbarra and Pierpaolo Bombardieri -
participated along with delegations of European and
international labour unions and opposition members, including
the leaders of the Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein and of the
Five-Star Movement (M5S) Giuseppe Conte, among others.
The leader of Cisl Sbarra denounced at the rally a "dramatic
situation" in the automotive sector, "a lot of uncertainty
regarding the present and fear in particular on the future",
urging Stellantis to comply with "the commitment it has
undertaken with the union and the government to relaunch the
automotive line in our country, focusing resources, investments
on new models, and increasing the productive capability" while
"safeguarding jobs".
Earlier on Friday, Cgil leader Landini denounced that "in Italy,
we are producing 300,000 cars when we would have the productive
capacity for 1.5 million cars", urging the "government to summon
unions, Stellantis and vehicle components' producers to discuss
an "overall strategic plan in Italy and in Europe".
And Business and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso said he
"very much respected the unions demonstrating today" and would
be summoning Stellantis the following day.
"I am very close to unions and workers, they know", he said.
According to data provided by the metalworkers' unions, in 2023
Stellantis produced in Italy a total of 751,000 vehicles,
including 521,000 cars and 230,000 commercial vehicles.
Over the past 17 years - between 2007 and 2024 - the production
in Italy of Fiat cars (subsequently FCA and Stellantis) was
slashed by nearly 70% from 911,000 to the 300,000 estimated this
year, if the production trend will continue.
Out of the 505,000 cars sold in Italy, less than half were
produced in the country (225,000), the unions said. (ANSA).
'20,000 attend metalworkers' rally in Rome'
Labour unions organized day-long automotive strike, protest