At the center of these talks will be the delicate transition to electric vehicle production. At its core, making all the necessary changes is a major challenge, but also opens up new opportunities. Melfi’s plant has the flexibility to adapt to different production models, thanks in part to the Basilicata region’s recent allocation of a substantial investment for the installation of photovoltaic systems.
Stellantis Melfi: decisive meetings for the future, from electricity to employment
The Stellantis plant in Melfi is entering the most decisive weeks for its future. And in fact, the FIM CISL has announced a busy schedule that includes a series of important meetings to discuss what could be the future plans and employment prospects for the production site.
More specifically, some of the most important appointments that have been scheduled currently here are the July 24 meeting between the union delegates and the ancillary companies to take stock of the current situation and future events. Next, there would be a July 29 meeting, at which the company management would be scheduled to talk about the renewal of the solidarity contract which is set to expire on August 4. Lastly, one more meeting will be held on August 7: to be held with the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, to discuss the program agreement useful for the revitalization of the Italian automotive supply chain. Generally speaking, at the center of the talk will also be the delicate transition to the production of electric vehicles, on which the employment fate of Melfi depends greatly.
Gerardo Evangelista, secretary of FIM CISL Basilicata, said that the electric market is not yet mature enough and that there is a lack of real guidelines that are clear for all future technologies at the European level and beyond. For this reason, according to Evangelista, it would be very important to have an open discussion with the Stellantis group, to try to best define the future of the Melfi plant and guarantee employment for people, as well as also prospects for growth.
Requests from unions and the Basilicata region’s support
So at the time being, we can define the unions’ demands in detail as those for more clarity on future production models and their timing. That there be well-defined industrial policies to support the transition to electric power, paying particular attention to reducing energy costs. Finally, that there are also measures to protect workers, with correct and adequate social shock absorbers, as well as retraining plans.
The Melfi plant has proven production flexibility at its disposal, making it suitable for the production of both electric and hybrid models. This important feature is certainly a strength to be enhanced and brought to bear in order to cope with the constant changes in the automotive market of the future.
As far as the Basilicata Region is concerned, for this situation it has recently allocated 120 million euros dedicated to the installation of photovoltaic systems destined precisely for the Melfi plant. The project represents a highly substantial investment that will reduce environmental impact and energy costs, strongly promoting the competitiveness of the production site.
So the coming weeks will certainly be conclusive in outlining the future of Stellantis Melfi following all the meetings that will take place. Unions are still demanding clarity and guarantees for the workers, while the Basilicata Region is making its support for the plant available. Such a future looks to be quite unclear for the time being, while also rich with potential opportunities at the same time.