Alfa Romeo Workers in Italy Protest Over Factory Conditions

Employees at a Stellantis production facility in Italy responsible for Alfa Romeo Tonale and Fiat Panda models have slowed production amid protests surrounding working conditions in the plant.

According to a report from Bloomberg, the automotive arm of the Fiom union has confirmed that its employees at Stellantis’ Pomigliano d’Arco plant halted work for two hours on Friday. The action came during what was the third day of protests at the facility, which are centered around insufficient working conditions. Issues highlighted by the union include insufficient and aging employee gear, a lack of consistent or adequate climate control, as well as unkept and unsanitary restrooms for plant workers.

“The plant is dirty and the toilets stink,” said Simone Marinelli, head of the automotive unit at Fiom. “Work overalls are missing — some workers have to wait months to have the old and worn out ones replaced.”

Stellantis adamantly rejects that its employees are working in undesirable or unsafe conditions, claiming to be acting within the framework laid out in the union contracts with Fiom and others. That said, Italy isn’t the only European nation where workers are frustrated with Stellantis. France’s CFDT labor union chief Christine Virassamy also previously highlighted poor working conditions taking place in the brand’s French production facilities in speaking with Bloomberg. Virassamy believes investment into facility upkeep is an important step towards easing tensions and improving worker safety.

It is also important to note that these protests in Italy aren’t taking place in a vacuum. The worker action comes after Stellantis announced its plans to cut as many as 2000 jobs in Italy amid the transition to a less dense, EV-focused workforce. The brand has stated that most of these jobs won’t come from production lines, and that early retirement benefits will be offered to older employees. Regardless, that’s over 4 percent of the automaker’s 47,000-member staff in the country on the chopping block. With how important the Tonale is going to be for Alfa Romeo moving forward, hopefully the protesters are able to secure their demands in short order.

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