Stellantis NV, the carmaker already hit by a strike at one of it plants in the US, faces another work stoppage in a factory in southern Italy on Monday.
(Bloomberg) — Stellantis NV, the carmaker already hit by a strike at one of it plants in the US, faces another work stoppage in a factory in southern Italy on Monday.Â
Workers and suppliers at its Melfi plant will walk off the job for 8 hours to protest the company’s lack of transparency about new models that will be built in the factory, according to a statement from four labor unions, including Fim-Cisl, posted on Facebook Friday. Another labor union, the hard-line Fiom-Cgil, also part of Monday’s strike, said separately Stellantis has failed to respond to safety and workload problems raised earlier this year.
The owner of the Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands, is under pressure in the US after the United Auto Workers began a strike Friday against all three of the legacy Detroit carmakers, an unprecedented move that could launch a costly and protracted showdown over wages and job security.Â
Read More: Ford, GM, Stellantis Hit by Targeted Strike in Historic First
In recent months, Stellantis has also been facing pushback from some Italian employees as it cuts costs and makes a pivot toward electric vehicles, leaving workers concerned about job security.
Monday’s strike action follows a company announcement earlier this year that it will build a fifth model as its Melfi plant, subject to performance improvement. Workers have been seeking further details about the new vehicles to gain visibility into the future of the factory and its suppliers, but haven’t received satisfactory responses, they said.
Stellantis is making heavy investments in Melfi to build several EV models based on its so-called Stella-medium platform, a spokesman for Stellantis said by phone, without elaborating further.Â
Read More: Stellantis Protest Over Unsanitary Conditions Slows Alfa Output
The company, formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, has been moving ahead with plans for a battery factory in Termoli, Italy, and is turning its iconic Turin facility into an EV hub.Â
At the inauguration of a new battery technology center in Turin last week, Stellantis pledged to continue investments in the country. Even so, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares has repeatedly said he will keep slashing expenses to stay competitive and make EVs more affordable for the middle classes, which he views as the only way to guarantee the company’s survival.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.