Stellantis, solidarity extended in Atessa but volumes grow

The social shock absorber at the Atessa plant, Stellantis' light commercial vehicle production hub, is extended until next summer. The solidarity contracts, due to expire on 31 December, will be extended to 31 July 2026. This was announced by the company management.

The percentage of workers affected by the already existing social security cushion, however, drops from the current 41% to 35% in absolute terms, about 300 people on lay-off out of a workforce of about 4,350. The new year will however open with the forecast of an increase in volumes from next February, with daily production of light commercial vehicles set to rise from the current 640 to 820 vans.

The new production plan will lead to the partial restoration in the Sevel plant of the third shift, skipped a few months ago, with the involvement of about 800 workers. The Uilm Abruzzo coordinator, Nicola Manzi, speaks of a 'signal of hope', which comes a few hours after 'the announcement by the European Commission that the much feared stop to the sale in Europe of cars with petrol and diesel engines from 2035 has been averted'.

The year 2025 will close with a production of about 166,000 vans, says Fiom, which emphasises the importance of the reprimand of the third shift, on a voluntary basis, and the return of part of the workers who are now on secondment. At the same time, the solidarity contract and the reduction of working hours remain in place due to market uncertainties.

'These elements, however,' points out Alfredo Fegatelli of Fiom, 'cannot be considered entirely sufficient. Stellantis must present a clear and binding industrial plan for the realisation of the new van, with adequate investments to guarantee production continuity, stable employment and quality of work, definitively overcoming a management based on social shock absorbers and incentivised exits. In this context there are no more excuses'.