Metalworkers in the streets to defend the Cassino factory

Last year, production fell by more than 27 per cent - the worst year ever - to 19 thousand units and since the beginning of the year there have been only 16 working days, with a forecast for 2026 of 13 thousand cars, a tenth of what was produced in 2017. "Without new models for Cassino, the territory risks industrial desertification,' underlines Rocco Palombella secretary of Uilm.

'On 25 April, the social shock absorbers will expire,' analyses Mirko marsella, secretary of the Fim Cisl of Frosinone, 'and we will probably move towards an extension of the social shock absorbers. We have no visibility of new investments and we look to the presentation of the industrial plan, on 21 May, to get an idea of possible industrial developments for Cassino'.

The bet, for those who work in Cassino and for the unions representing the workers in the Stellantis factory and its allied industries, is that new production and volumes will be assigned to Cassino in the future. 'What concerns us instead,' summarises Marsella, 'is that the Cassino factory has never produced new models since the merger between FCA and Peugeot. Of the models assigned by the old industrial plan, in fact, none went into production'.

The new Stelvio and Giulia, scheduled for 2025, never actually got off the ground. This was one of the choices made by former CEO Carlos Tavares who, in order to cut costs and buy time on the market, had decided to postpone any choice until 2028. A series of factors has therefore generated a real paradox: models from Sergio Marchionne's old industrial plan from ten years ago are still being produced in Cassino.

A worrying situation, then. Whether one looks at volumes - last year 19,364 cars left the factory, -27.9% compared to the year before, almost ten times less than the 2017 peak - or at the timing. 'If 2028 remains the reference period for the start of new production, the risk is really that the situation will degenerate,' points out Secretary Marsella.

The new industrial plan that CEO Filosa will present in May will have to untangle the knot of production volumes and the industrial destiny of the Cassino factory, a pole that fits into a much broader picture, that of the future fate of the Maserati and Alfa Romeo marques.

Total employment at the plant fell to 2,200. Cassino, in particular, has been assigned the new STLA Large Bev platform, on which the future Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia are to be produced, including in hybrid versions, as provided for in the commitments made at the ministerial meeting. However, the unions recall, Cassino is the only plant where the plan announced in December 2024 at the ministry has not been implemented.