Electrolux announces 1,700 redundancies and closure of Cerreto D'Esi plant: trade unions in state of agitation

Electrolux announced to the unions (Fiom, Fim and Uilm) 1,700 redundancies, 40% of the total of the 4,500 employees in Italia. The workers' representatives replied that it was an unacceptable plan and got up from the meeting table - which took place in Venice Mestre - proclaiming a permanent state of agitation and an initial 8-hour strike in all plants. Then they asked the government for immediate intervention with an urgent convocation at Mimit. In the coming days they will involve the local institutions to ask them to present a united front with the workers.

The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy intervened immediately, saying that it was following "with the utmost attention the situation regarding Electrolux, in light of the announcement of redundancies and the industrial reorganisation plan involving several factories in Italy. The ministry intends to carry out all the necessary monitoring activities and to maintain a constant and structured dialogue with the company and the unions, in order to manage the situation as effectively as possible and to ensure maximum coordination between the parties involved. As usual, the Mimit will immediately follow the situation with the utmost commitment, with the aim of favouring shared solutions between the parties, within a framework that ensures the protection of employment and continuity of production".

As a note from the Swedish home appliance multinational explains, this is a path to optimise its organisational and production set-up in Italia. The programme is part of a more comprehensive global plan of the Group, aimed at improving overall operational efficiency and targeted optimisation of industrial capacity on a global scale, with the goal of making the organisation more agile and competitive. Translated into practice, this means downsizing all Italian sites, closing one and stopping some production, such as washer-dryers in Porcia and hobs in Forlì.

The operation, which in the multinational company's plans must be closed in a short time, will be managed within the framework of industrial relations in our country and, as the note states, 'any impact on the workforce will be managed in compliance with the appropriate formal procedures and through constructive dialogue with institutions and unions. The company is committed to identifying all available measures to mitigate the social fallout and support the employees involved in the transition'.

According to the trade unions,Fiom, Fim and Uilm, the sites that would be affected by the staff reduction are those of Porcia (Pordenone), of Susegana (Treviso), Forlì and Solaro (Milan), while the Cerreto D'Esi site, where 170 people work, would be closed. Among the redundancies there are also 200 employees with fixed-term contracts, while the production of washer-dryers in Porcia, and of hobs in Forlì, a segment that represents about one third of the business for the Romagna site, should be stopped altogether. At Susegana, a third line of the 'Genesi' series, which should have been dedicated to medium-high level refrigerators, was not activated even though it was, and it is presumed that a further 150 employees dedicated to it could be among those cut. Finally, a substantial loss of competitiveness was also reported for dishwashers made in Solaro.