Italy: Fiat leaves negotiating table with unions on the future of the Mirafiori site

Ambitious program. With an investment of over €1 billion and a new joint venture with Chrysler, Fiat wants to double  production at Mirafiori, going from 120,000 cars currently to over 250,000 upmarket models in 2014 (Jeep and Alfa Romeo), half of which at least will be sold abroad. To do so, the group wants to reshape the “Pomigliano model” (named after the factory where unions, bar the Fiom-CGIL, negotiated an agreement derogating from the sector’s CCN, see our dispatch No.  100480) with modules of 15, 18 or 12 shifts (the latter, with 10-hour workdays on 4-day workweeks, is also the only one where lunch break is in the middle of the shift, not at the end like the others), depending on production needs,  with breaks reduced as well, from 40 to 30 minutes, and a possibility to increase working time without unions’ consent to 120 hours a year (while the metal CCN sets to 40 the number of non-agreed overtime).  Fiat wants lower absenteeism and a no-strike commitment during overtime.  If this commitment is broken, the union that took action will be sanctioned.