Union calls for one-day strike against Fiat

According to Bloomberg News, FIOM, the militant Italian metalworker’ union, has called for a one-day strike on Friday against Fiat SpA and Fiat Industrial SpA. The union says the action is being taken because the company will not be making bonus payments.

FIOM is also upset over losing a lawsuit that sought the reinstatement of the employees at Fiat’s Melfi plant. Two of the dismissed employees were FIOM delegates. Judge Amerigo Palma, the labor tribunal for the Court of Melfi, upheld Fiat’s appeal of the reinstatement.

Quoted in Il Sole 24 Oro, Mark Pignatelli, one of the terminated employees, spoke for John and Anthony Lamorte Barozzino, saying, “We accept the judge’s decision, because it is his decision, but (we) certainly will not give up because we believe that ours was an unfair dismissal.”

Emmanuel de Nicola, the regional secretary of FIOM Basilicata, said, “This ruling is likely to open a dangerous precedent with respect to workers’ rights.”