From Mirafiori to Pomigliano and Termoli: insufficient vehicle production

From Mirafiori to Pomigliano and Termoli: in Italy 42 thousand work for Stellantis

There is concern about the production volumes of the Stellantis factories. In Mirafiori, where the production of the electric 500 had brought advantages in the past, a slowdown is expected: layoffs have been confirmed from 12 February to 3 March for the city car and Maserati lines. After production was suspended in December for the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte, it appears that the Levante model may suffer the same fate, as seat supplier, Lear, has no orders as of April. This is what was reported by Corriere della Sera. The Maserati Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio electric models remain unchanged, but we will have to wait until 2027 for a new Trident SUV and 2028 for the electric Quattroporte. They are distant prospects in a factory that it once produced 3.8 million examples, including the famous Fiat 500 designed by Dante Giacosa.

In 2023, Stellantis ended the year with 751,384 vehicles assembled, including 521,104 passenger cars and 230,280 commercial vehicles, up 9.6% from 2022. However, this result is still far from the million vehicles hoped for by the government and last achieved in 2017, during the management of Sergio Marchionne. Over the years, the number of employees has also declined, with incentives and expansion plans leading many to leave the company or take early retirement. In 2021, at the time of the merger between Fiat-Chrysler and Groupe PSA, there were 51,300 employees in Italy, a number that has dropped to 42,700 today. In 2004, FCA's consolidated balance sheet showed a global number of resources of 160,549, of which 71,329 were in Italy.

It should be noted that these numbers also include those of the components sector, with 166,800 employees distributed across 2,167 companies, but only 64.5% of these employees are linked to StellantisIveco, as many suppliers work for different car manufacturers. Overall, in Piedmont, where the Mirafiori plant is located, there are 56,800 employees, and according to Carlos Tavares, Mirafiori is at risk of workforce cuts due to the policies of the Meloni government. Another site at risk is Pomigliano, the only plant that currently has no electric platforms assigned, but the confirmation of Panda production until 2026 has guaranteed the end of social safety nets after 15 years. In Cassino, the arrival of a large electric platform has been announced, although no specific model has been assigned; the growth of Maserati Grecale (+3,640, +27%), however, did not compensate for the decline in Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio in 2023 (-9,840, -24%).

Five cars were presented in Melfi, the first of which will be launched this year, but 4,662 employees will be in solidarity until August, while over 1,300 workers were moved to Pomigliano and Termoli. In Termoli, the transition from petrol engines to batteries for the 2,100 metalworker workers will only begin in 2026. Modena is also affected by the layoffs, thanks to the Maserati MC20 which had avoided this situation in the past: 220 workers, including blue collar workers and office workers, will be in cash until February 17th, with the prospect of only 10 days of work in March. As regards VM of Cento, specialized in diesel engines, which has reduced its staff from over a thousand employees to around 400 in recent years, diversification is expected towards marine propulsion systems with the entry of a new industrial partner.