Fca-Psa, fears for employment and production – Industry

Guaranteeing production and employment levels after the agreement between FCA and PSA: this is the common fear of trade unions, government and local authorities. The closure or downsizing of the factories of the two groups, the impact on the supply chain and on the related industries could become really heavy.

The first to ask for reassurance is the premier, Giuseppe Conte: "It is a market operation, I cannot judge the agreement but what is pressing for the government is that the level of production and that of employment in Italy is assured and therefore the business continuity. The one between Fca and Peugeot is a market operation "but the government cannot remain indifferent", explains Conte. "With Elkann there was a missed contact, I will soon hear him to know the details" of the operation.

Along the same lines the mayor of Turin, Chiara Appendino, which wants to make sure "that investments, employment levels are protected and continues with innovative and very important projects for the local and national economic system". The governor of Piedmont is optimistic, Cirio tree, according to which "the operation strengthens Fca creating a world giant and one of its two legs remains well anchored in our Piedmont".

"Strong concern for the factories," Francesca said King David, general secretary of Fiom Cgil. "In Italy there is an installed production capacity of 1.5 million cars, but less than half of them are produced – he said – and our factories are full of cassintegrati, the merger is very risky".

The softer the general secretary of the UIL, Carmelo Barbagallo "the proposed agreement between Fca and Peugeot is good news because in the sector aggregations are now a precondition for being able to preside over important segments of the automotive market and, therefore, to ensure a future and a perspective for the groups concerned. Now – underlines Barbagallo – the FCA must implement development projects, starting from the confirmation of the investments and the guarantee of a productive and occupational continuity for all its plants ". Furthermore, the UIL leader continues, "there are the conditions to give workers the right recognition for the sacrifices and the commitment with which they contributed to the achievement of these objectives. The comparison with the trade union was an essential tool for managing all these phases: the dialogue will be even more important to build a growth path ".

"We welcome with satisfaction that, in the corporate statement concerning the merger between Fca and Peugeot, the possibility of factory closures is expressly excluded"note Rocco Palombella, general secretary Uilm. "The mergers – he explains – can in fact entail, in the search for synergies and rationalizations that reduce costs, employment repercussions and, precisely for this reason, the clarification of Fca and Peugeot is very important. Naturally as a trade union we will follow the matter very carefully the part that is of relevance to us and we will oversee possible employment repercussions.The benefits of the merger, in technological and market terms, are easy to understand.This is a great challenge that must be overcome.The attitude of persevering hostility of the Government towards the auto sector, most recently confirmed by the increase in taxes on company cars, a measure that evidently would affect, besides so many employees, the car market which is already going through a negative economic situation. previous Governments, it is all the more damaging if it is compared to that of the other Governments that invites they strongly support their industry ".

From now on Jean-Pierre Mercier, representative of the French trade union CGT in the PSA group, it was said against the possible merger project with Fiat-Chrysler (FCA). "The merger would be in the interests of the shareholders" of the two automotive groups. We – he added – will not stop fighting for our interests, everyone must be aware of it ". He then added that in the notice the merger risks putting at risk the jobs, salaries," collective rights of employees in France as in Italy ". Among other things," the patron saints of the two countries would try to put workers in competition both in Italy and in France "." As employees we have common interests to defend ", warned the trade unionist, recalling, among the other, the cuts suffered by "our friends of Opel in Germany, in England", after the Psa operation with Opel-Vauxhall.

The merger project between PSA and Fiat-Chrysler is "good news for French industry and European industry", but the protection of jobs and industrial sites will remain the priority of the French government, said the Economy Minister, Bruno Le Maire. "The most important points for us are clearly the industrial sites, the protection of all industrial sites and the protection of work", declared Le Maire, adding – on the occasion of a brief press in Paris – that this merger strengthens the French sector in a context of "spectacular" consolidation of the sector. "I prefer that the French automotive industry is part of this consolidation movement rather than seeing it excluded". For him, it is also "absolutely essential" that the current CEO of Psa, Carlos Tavares, is put in charge of the new group. "For now, the builders have not provided any details on the company headquarters, on the organization of the future company", he continued, while the French unions are already on a war footing against the future implantation of the group's headquarters in the Netherlands. "It is certain that this merger between Peugeot and Fiat-Chrysler can create the fourth world car champion. It offers us the critical size to face the double challenge of the autonomous car and the electric vehicle", concluded Le Maire, insisting, moreover, on the "complementarity of the markets" of Psa and Fca strong in Asia and the United States respectively.