AMERICAN FOOTBALL

The plan for a takeover by Opel, Fiat presented Monday to the German government would provide, as anticipated by the German economic daily "Handelsblatt", the closure of two factories in Italy. Fiat denies the rumors are not as you hear the Minister of Economic Development Claudio Scajola that, in a letter to President Luca di Montezemolo and Sergio Marchionne accession, ask the Ligotto note the centrality of the Italian factories ( "is key" ). Alert for the unions: "Such a plan would lead to the opening of a heavy social conflict," said the secretary of FIOM, Gianni Rinaldini


Fiat Mundi, but not without cost. After weeks of media on ubriacatura renewed national pride for the Turin carmaker lanciatasi in the conquest of America and a good slice of Europe, between gossip and toast are also the first note and painful euphoria gives way to concern and fear. Fear of losing their jobs, a concern shared by all countries involved in major automotive restructuring.
Thus, in the early hours of dawn, the German economic daily Handelsblatt writes: the business plan to acquire Fiat Opel provides the closure of a number of establishments, two of which are in Italy, "a factory in the north and the other in south. " The cut would be contained in the so-called "Project Phoenix", a plan dated May and consists of 46 pages.

The only factory in the north of the Fiat Mirafiori is, the heart of Turin. And what the unions are preparing to counter the possible (and probable) restructuring, it is unlikely a full stop closure of the factory. Different the situation in the south. Last April, again from indiscretions of the press, had spoken of the existence of another plan, called "Project Football", which would have provided for the closure of ten plants in Europe, including those of Pomigliano and Termini Imerese. There are 15 thousand workers who "jump". But he denied the Lingotto.

Returning to the so-called "Project Phoenix" between the factories that could "potentially be closed" in Germany is that of Kaiserslautern. Resized plants Ruesselsheim and Bochum. Will also cut the plants Zaragoza in Spain, Trollhaettan in Sweden, Antwerp in Belgium, and perhaps even those of Luton in England and Graz in Austria. They should not be affected by the restructuring plan in France, Poland, Greece and Serbia.

The German edition of the Financial Times refers to the "Project Phoenix", but in the lottery of establishments to be sacrificed, there are some differences: Roland Berger, a member of cda Gm Opel and consultant for Europe, interviewed by Ftd, would have ensured that the Opel plant in Kaiserslautern will not be closed, while the sad fate it is to the sites of Luton (England) and Tychy (Poland). The consultant also confirmed that Fiat wants to list on the Stock Exchange within three years the new car that arise from any union activities of Fiat Auto, Chrysler and GM Europe. According to the Ftd, finally, the entire operation Lingotto would need new loans to about 6.4 billion.

The Bild newspaper wrote that a number of GM Europe, Carl-Peter Forster, the manager asked the group to give up 10% of their salaries, proving that the cuts in salary will be implemented already this month. The initiative, according to the tabloids, will allow the group to save several million euros this year and will cover 300 managers in Europe, of which 150 to Opel in Germany. Forster plans to launch such a signal, comments on the Bild: Opel's management gives a good example by contributing materially to the improvement of society.

Unlike last April, this time Fiat not comment on the rumors and the absence of a denial frightening those that hot, they had thought about a story driven by the detractors of the acquisition dell'Opel by the car manufacturer Italian.

In fact, the Minister of Economic Development, Claudio Scajola, take pen and paper and in a letter to the chairman of Fiat's Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Sergio Marchionne, asks the Lingotto note the centrality of the Italian factories ( "is fundamental, "wrote the minister). In the certainty that the excellence of Italian plants continue to be enforceable, even in a context of globalization of production, I will open to schedule a meeting at short notice, even in the presence of trade unions in order to share the contribution that the Government may continue to offer ".

A few weeks from the elections the government wants the dilemma of facing a social clash with blue suits ready up in arms. Chips have also turned their backs on the left, as shown by numerous polls, but when it comes to defending the bread and work demands something more than assurances and promises that at the close finish, push off into nothingness.

In Belgium, the workers who risk their jobs are occupied by the shop this morning and the car of the car in Turin, in order to obtain a "socially correct". They seized all the machines, everything is locked, the workshop is that the car (The Italian automotive center, the largest of the Fiat car in Belgium, announced a plan to cut 24 workers).

In Italy, unions are on alert. The Secretary General of FIOM, Gianni Rinaldini, says "absolutely unacceptable any assumptions of closure of Fiat in Italy." While the plan makes Fiat, and in the U.S. bankruptcy court dismissed the assault of disgruntled creditors, Cremaschi sends a message to Sergio Marchionne, all'investitura next CEO of the new colossus of self: "We are ready to blow the 'agreement. " The only thing you should do - he says - "is to bring the 'holy' Marchionne on earth in defense of all employment in our country that can not suffer cuts."

To suffer more, the blue suits of the south, "a two" final between Pomigliano and Termini Imerese. A "ballot" no winners, but with two losers, at least in the plans of Turin.
Roberto Mastrosimone, the representative of the workers Cgil Fiat Palermo's black humor: "The plant is seriously in the balance. Fiat no talk, no one communicates anything. The rumors are very bad. Here, if I were to think with their head not I have doubts. I know that top Fiat Terms sacrifice. " The impact on the island would be devastating, especially after blocking the production of the Lancia Ypsilon by the motorist home and the start of a long season for cassintegrazione workers. Not lacking, however, the desire to fight, to defend their jobs: "We will fight hard. But we fear," says Mastrosimone.

Unions Turinese raise a wall: the Mirafiori plant has already paid in the crisis of 2002 and not touched. The new alarm bell will sound after press leaks suggest that, as part of the acquisition of Opel, the closure of two Fiat plants in Italy, one of which goes north. "The real problem - says Claudio Chiarle, Secretary General of the FIM of Turin - is that we do not know the details of Fiat's industrial plan. The piece is missing - is the meeting with the Italian Government and the union. Unfortunately, the government, for exception of some statements in the spot, in this whole affair has shown absent.

Saturday May 16 manifesteranno workers from all over the Fiat Group and the auto components. The protest had been decided almost two months ago by Turin metalworkers unions and then agreed with the national secretariats of FIM, FIOM, UILM and Fismic.
The parade will start at 10am at the door 5 of Mirafiori and reach the Lingotto, where the headquarters of the Fiat group in the world.

The Fiat plants currently produce 600 thousand cars a year and could produce only Mirafiori 1.2 million. The Mayor of Turin, Sergio Chiamparino, calls "the legitimate concerns of trade unions of workers", but hopefully also in a revival of "the agreement with Chrysler and Opel-Saab possibly could to expand markets and allow establishments currently produce less to produce more. "
On the need to possibly reorganize the Italian, Chiamparino said that "everyone has made the part his own, as we have done at Mirafiori and we took a piece of the area and we always re-used for business, but other than automotive "