The dreaded scenario becomes reality at Termoli. After months of weak signals and ignored union warnings, Stellantis is entering a new phase in the downsizing of its workforce: voluntary redundancies. Objective: reduce the workforce by around 200 employees at a site already in serious difficulty.
An end-of-career support mechanism
According to information published by local media "Termoli Online", Stellantis is preparing an early retirement program for employees nearing retirement. A method already used in the past at other Group plants. The principle is simple: a gateway to retirement is offered to employees meeting certain age conditions, with a lump-sum allowance and several additional monthly payments. The aim is to ensure a smooth economic transition for those who agree to leave the ship early.
For the time being, the figure of 200 departures has yet to be confirmed, but the strategy is clear: Stellantis prefers to avoid outright redundancies, betting on the gradual erosion of the workforce. A tactic that does little to disguise the absence of any concrete short-term prospects for the Termoli plant.
A factory emptied... even before its conversion
This disguised redundancy plan comes against a backdrop of visible disengagement. The FIRE engine line is now shut down, the Nettuno V6 and GME 2.0L are on the chopping block, and production is contracting month by month. The gigafactory project, which is supposed to breathe new life into the site, has again been postponed until the end of 2025, with no certainty. Even John Elkann, President of Stellantis, admitted that the project had become "very difficult" to realize, due to high energy costs.
Unions denounce a policy of renunciation
On the union side, anger has been rumbling for weeks. FIM CISL speaks of a "silent disengagement", piece by piece. Back in April, Gianluca Falcone (FIOM Molise) spoke of a gradual dismantling, visible in the successive departures of equipment and production lines. The 370 million euros promised by the Molise region for the ACC project have disappeared, while Spain invests 4 billion euros in its own gigafactories.
The eDCT transmission production line, newly installed at Termoli, will only employ around 300 people, and not until 2026. In the meantime, over 1,500 employees find themselves without visibility, hanging on vague promises and constantly postponed prospects.
With these forced departures, Stellantis has entered a new phase in what the unions describe as industrial agony. Termoli, cradle of several generations of Fiat engines, is gradually losing its soul, with no noticeable reaction from the institutions.
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