Italy: tension is rising after Fiat announced the relocation of production in Serbia

Right and left wing protest from political and union forces followed the declarations, last week, of Fiat’s managing director, Sergio Marchionne, to the La Repubblica daily. Presenting his decision as a result of the “Pomigliano effect” and the “unreliable” attitude of Italian unions, he announced the transfer of production of the L0 model to Kragijevac (Serbia) instead of Turin. Piedmont authorities, including the mayor of Turin and the leader of the Piedmont region, protested, accusing Marchionne of “violating the pacts.” Labor Minister Maurizio Sacconi convened Fiat and the trade unions for tomorrow in Turin, at the headquarters of the region, to look into the “Fabbrica Italia" plan and its impact on production and employment on the group’s Italian sites.