Iveco to the Chinese of Faw, this is how politics and trade unions buffer CNH
Unions and parliamentarians ask the government to get involved in CNH negotiations for the sale of Iveco to the Chinese group Faw. All the details
Not only Fca and Stellantis, Exor in recent weeks is called to play another game, the one that sees Iveco as the protagonist, courted by the Chinese Faw. But, if the government did not take the field in the game for the birth of Stellantis, unions and parliamentarians ask that this time the Ministry of Economic Development goes on the attack, defending factories and employment.
Let's go step by step.
FAW'S INTEREST FOR IVECO
Let's start from the beginning. The Faw company, founded in 1953 in the northeastern city of Changchun, is the first automaker in China and operates under the Hongqi, Jiefang and Besturn brands, has submitted an offer to acquire all of the commercial vehicle businesses of Iveco, including trucks and buses, as well as a minority stake in the engine division of Fpt.
TRADE UNIONS AND PARLIAMENTARY ALARM ON IVECO FOR FAW
The offer has alarmed trade unions and parliamentarians, who are asking the government to enter into negotiations between CNH Industrial, owner of the Iveco brand, and the Chinese Faw, with the aim of protecting sites and employment.
THE FACTORIES CONCERNED
Negotiations for the sale of Iveco buses and trucks involve the plant where the Daily is produced, located in Suzzara, in the province of Mantua (1,680 workers), and the plant where the Eurocargo is produced, in Brescia (2,250 workers). For the acquisition of a stake in Fpt Industrial, the engine division present in Turin and Foggia would come into play.
PATUANELLI: INTEREST TO BE CHECKED ON IVECO
Places and numbers that do not leave indifferent Minister Stefano Patuanelli, who, responding today to the Chamber to the solicitations of Federico Fornaro of 'Free and equal' on the "protection of Italian sites", said: "This interest of the Faw Jefang group must be verified with Cnh" .
FRAMEWORK AGREEMENTS CONTINUE
According to the Dire news agency, the Minister also confirmed the company-trade union framework agreements on the "reindustrialisation of CNH production sites" which lead to local agreements.
THE BRESCIA CASE
All right then? Not exactly. Because if the Mayor of Brescia tries to remind the minister that, in these negotiations, there are also 24 million that Iveco should invest in the city, Patuanelli himself brakes abruptly, since it causes Covid, the planned investments "could be postponed. and the use of the solidarity contract is foreseen for 30 months ".
THE ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT
To tell the truth, the millions at stake are many more and they are not just about Brescia. In fact, as mentioned by the Minister, Iveco presented the request for the innovation agreement, signed with the Piedmont and Liguria Regions, for the Daily electric project. An investment of 34.5 million plus eight million and 79,000 euros is expected from the ministry which, added to the regional one, triggers a subsidy of over nine million, but the final project "is undergoing verification and analysis".
THE FUTURE OF CNH INDUSTRIAL AND THE SCENARIO ON IVECO
And the unknowns about Iveco weigh, more generally, on the future of Cnh Industrial , which in recent months is grappling with a reorganization, which is proceeding according to plan as mentioned by Cnh Industrial to the unions, in the meeting held on January 20 and chaired by the Ministry of Economic Development.
THE REORGANIZATION OF PLANTS
If in Pregana we are dealing with redundancies and in Foggia we are preparing to cope with the missed Sevel order, in Lecce there is a significant increase in volumes for 2021, equal to about 20% compared to 2019. Good news also for Jesi and Modena, where for 2021, no social safety nets are expected to be used. Reorganization proceeds at the two FPT Torino sites, where production volumes are substantially stable compared to 2019, while the Bolzano plant, Iveco Defense, records an increase in volumes. In San Mauro (Turin) the conversion of the plant into an industrial logistics center is underway
The Astra plant in Piacenza will work on the last tender awarded with Germany, while the Suzzara plant (Mantua) is in the recovery phase after the crash phase of the lockdown. In Brescia, on the other hand, the solidarity contract was signed for 24 months and the first agreed interventions have begun to strengthen the production mission of the site.
TRADE UNION REQUESTS AT CNH FOR IVECO
This is certainly not the time to let your guard down. And it is for this reason that, in a joint note, Fim, Fiom, Uilm, Fismic, Uglm, Aqcfr ask "the Government to continue to follow the industrial and corporate affairs of Cnh Industrial" and ask "Minister Patuanelli to take an active interest in them and to participate in the next meeting, aware of the importance of this group for Italy both from an employment and industrial point of view. More generally, a concrete commitment from the government is needed to support the transition to electrification, especially as specific investments are expected in the Turin and Brescia factories ”.
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What do Fim, Fiom, Uilm, Fismic, Uglm, Aqcfr ask the Government for Cnh Industrial. Here is the full joint statement
The reorganization process of Cnh Industrial is proceeding according to what was agreed in the agreement of 10 March 2020 and production volumes are recovering compared to last year, however, the unknowns of the corporate events weigh on the future. We therefore asked the Ministry of Economic Development to monitor not only the execution of the industrial plan but also the ownership and shareholding prospects of the group, starting with the ongoing negotiations with the Chinese FAW for Iveco.
In the meeting held today and chaired by the Ministry of Economic Development , Cnh Industrial illustrated the overall picture of the Italian plants: in Lecce, a significant increase in volumes is expected for 2021, equal to about 20% compared to 2019; in Foggia the reorganization proceeds in accordance with the agreements, to prepare for the cancellation of the Sevel contract; in Jesi and Modena in 2021 no social safety nets are expected to be used thanks to a good restart after the lock down phase and an increase in volumes also compared to 2019; at the two FPT Torino sites, work is carried out in accordance with trade union agreements relating to processing flows and production volumes are substantially stable compared to 2019; in Bolzano the Iveco Defense plant recorded an increase in volumes; at the Astra in Piacenza there will be the benefits of the last race won with Germany; the Suzzara (Mantua) plant recovered quickly after the lockdown phase, returning to the volumes of 2019; the solidarity contract was signed in Brescia for 24 months and the first agreed interventions have begun to strengthen the site's production mission; the role of the Modena warehouse remains absolutely strategic, so much so that its activity did not stop even with the lockdown. As regards Pregnana (Milan), unfortunately hit by the closing decision, the trade union agreement of March 2020 is being applied, with which redundancies are being avoided through a series of tools such as voluntary incentives redundancies primarily aimed at retirement, '' offer to transfer incentives to another plant of the group, opportunities for re-employment with other entrepreneurs in the area, as well as the search for an investor to reindustrialize the site still in place in collaboration with the Lombardy Region; on the reindustrialisation process we believe that the commitment of the Mise and the Ministry of Labor is also needed, to guarantee social safety nets and support for investments. San Mauro (Turin), finally, the conversion of the plant into an industrial logistics center is underway according to the agreement of March 2020, the use of the CIGS is in progress and only 19 surpluses of the initial 110 remain.
We ask the Government to continue to follow the industrial and corporate events of Cnh Industrial and we ask Minister Patuanelli to take an active interest in them and to participate in the next meeting, aware of the importance of this group for Italy both from an employment and an employment point of view. industrial. More generally, a concrete commitment from the government is needed to support the transition to
electrification, especially as specific investments are expected in the Turin and Brescia factories.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/iveco-ai-cinese-di-faw-ecco-come-politica-e-sindacati-tamponano-cnh/ on Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:04:35 +0000.