The announcement comes as something of a surprise. The Tychy plant in Poland, thought to be relatively protected thanks to the production of so-called "popular" models, is now caught up in a much more brutal reality. Stellantis has officially launched a mass redundancy procedure immediately affecting 320 employees, with a total impact that could reach up to 700 jobs, according to the unions. A strong and worrying signal for a plant that assembles key models such as the Alfa Romeo Junior, the Fiat 600 and the Jeep Avenger.
A factory we thought was safe
Until now, Tychy has occupied a special place in the Stellantis galaxy. Unlike other European sites specializing in niche or top-of-the-range vehicles, the Polish plant produces compact SUVs designed to generate volume. These are cars positioned in accessible segments, designed to bolster the Group's sales in a tight market. This is precisely why the announcement came as a cold shower. On Monday January 12, 2026, the management of FCA Poland (Stellantis' local subsidiary) informed the unions of its intention to proceed with mass redundancies. Officially, 320 jobs are affected, among both blue-collar and white-collar workers, across all plant functions.
Up to 700 jobs actually at risk
Behind this official figure lies a broader reality. According to Polish trade unions, particularly Metalowcy, the social impact could be far greater. Including fixed-term contracts that will not be renewed and workers employed via temporary employment agencies, the total number of people likely to lose their jobs could exceed 700. To give an idea, at the end of 2025, FCA Poland still had 2,378 employees in Tychy, including over 2,000 blue-collar workers. A reduction on this scale would therefore represent a major shock not only for the industrial site, but also for the entire local economy.
Redundancies spread out to spring 2026
The company's management specified that the redundancies would take place after the legal procedure provided for under Polish labor law, with a deadline of April 30, 2026. The criteria to be applied will be based on an assessment of employees' performance in 2025, as well as technical and organizational considerations. Initially, Stellantis would give priority to negotiated departures by mutual agreement, before resorting, if necessary, to individual dismissals. There is also talk of a voluntary redundancy program, with compensation above the legal minimum, modulated according to seniority and proximity to retirement age.
Low demand for strategic models?
Officially, Stellantis justifies this decision by a sustained decline in demand for the models produced at Tychy. Today, the plant mainly assembles the Jeep Avenger, the Fiat 600 and the Alfa Romeo Junior, available in hybrid and 100 % electric versions. These models were intended to embody the commercial revival of the brands concerned in the compact urban SUV segment. In reality, however, sales volumes have clearly failed to materialize, forcing the Group to scale back production.
The Green Deal, an unconvincing explanation
The unions blame the European Green Deal, rising energy costs and the uncertainty surrounding the scheduled end of combustion engines. By now, this has become a classic argument in the automotive industry. But this explanation is hardly convincing. The Alfa Romeo Junior, Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600 are not exclusively electric models: they also come in hybrid versions, precisely designed to reassure customers who are still hesitant about going all-electric. The real problem, then, seems less ideological than commercial. In other words, these cars simply aren't selling enough, despite their supposedly buoyant positioning. High prices, fierce internal and external competition: these are all factors that weigh far more heavily today than European regulatory constraints alone.
The Tychy case sends a clear message. Even plants producing "mainstream" models are no longer safe in the automotive Europe of 2026. For Stellantis, this social plan in Poland illustrates the persistent difficulties of turning product launches into lasting commercial successes. And it raises a broader question: if compact hybrid and electric SUVs, which are supposed to be at the heart of the transition and volume, are no longer enough to secure jobs, what room for manoeuvre do European automakers really have left in the years ahead?
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And the idiots who insist on offering only one choice of combustion engine will not be put out of business !!!! What's missing is a 1.3 or 1.5 version and a diesel version, because there are still people who drive a lot.
The main cause is the price of these cars. With purchasing power at half-mast, people can no longer afford them.