{"id":52015,"date":"2026-07-03T14:03:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/?p=52015"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T08:22:32","slug":"stellantis-workers-at-the-fiat-500-plant-are-all-worried-the-nightmare-is-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/en\/stellantis\/stellantis-les-ouvriers-de-lusine-de-la-fiat-500-sont-tous-inquiets-le-cauchemar-revient\/","title":{"rendered":"Stellantis: Workers at the Fiat 500 plant are all worried\u2014\u00abthe nightmare is back\u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While Stellantis<\/a> Although it has seen an increase in sales on the Italian market, the atmosphere remains particularly tense at Mirafiori. The Turin plant, which was supposed to get back on track thanks to the new Fiat 500 hybrid<\/a>, is once again going through a period of uncertainty. Between weeks of downtime, extended vacations, and reduced production volumes, the employees interviewed by the local media outlet Torino Cronaca<\/em> have drawn a troubling conclusion: many fear the return of short-time work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few weeks ago, we were already discussing the first warning signs<\/a>. Production targets seemed difficult to meet, and several unions were already calling for the introduction of a second model to secure the plant\u2019s industrial future. Accounts gathered outside the workshops now show that these concerns have become widespread throughout the factory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abWe realized that something was wrong\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Gate 2 of the plant, during the shift change, several employees agreed to speak with reporters. Many pointed out that the Fiat 500 Hybrid\u2014which is supposed to revitalize Mirafiori\u2014is based on a model that has been around for several years. \u00abYes, there\u2019s a new engine for the 500 Hybrid, but the model is already more than six years old,\u00bb explains one employee. \u00abWe\u2019ve always said that wouldn\u2019t be enough.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people thought that production difficulties wouldn\u2019t arise until the end of the year. In reality, things happened much sooner. The number of weeks of downtime increased, additional long weekends were added to the calendar, and the summer vacation was gradually extended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/use><\/svg>\n

\u00abWhen we were told that we wouldn\u2019t be working on Saturdays, that was the first warning sign,\u00bb says another employee. \u00abThen came the long weekends and weeks-long closures. That\u2019s when we realized something was wrong.\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u00abThe nightmare of short-time work is back\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What worries employees the most is not just the sales figures for the Fiat 500 Hybrid. Many are particularly concerned about a widespread return to short-time work, which has already affected Mirafiori in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/use><\/svg>\n

\u00abWe had hoped that this year would finally allow us to emerge from the nightmare of furloughs. Today, it feels like it\u2019s knocking on our door again.\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another worker sums up the general sentiment: \u00abWe\u2019re very worried. A fourth week of shutdown has been announced for the summer. A situation like this would never happen with a product that actually sells. \u00bb For many employees, the lack of ramp-up is the main problem. When a new model is launched, factories typically operate with overtime and Saturday shifts. At Mirafiori, exactly the opposite is happening.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fiat registrations in Italy from January through May 2026. Figures from Italpassion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Young Temporary Workers Face Uncertainty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Concerns center particularly on the many temporary workers hired in recent months. Several contracts are set to expire at the end of July, and no one knows whether they will be renewed. One young employee explains that he had already anticipated this possibility when he was hired. \u00abI know how the job market works these days. If things don\u2019t work out here, I\u2019ll have to find something else.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others are even more fatalistic. \u00abWe\u2019re all worried because jobs are hard to come by,\u00bb explains a temporary worker. \u00abWe\u2019re afraid there will be another round of furloughs.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the longest-tenured employees share this sentiment. One employee who has been with the company for nearly thirty years believes that the factory has \u00abchanged a lot\u2014mostly for the worse.\u00bb Another, who is about to retire, says he is especially concerned for the younger generations. \u00abI\u2019ll be retiring soon. But when it comes to the young people, yes, I\u2019m very concerned.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abWithout another model, this won't be enough\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The message that comes up most often in the testimonials is that of a second model. For many employees, the Fiat 500 Hybrid alone cannot secure Mirafiori\u2019s future. \u00abWithout another model, the young people who have just been hired won\u2019t be able to stay on.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some go even further. One employee says the drop in production volumes comes as no surprise: \u00abWhen the new Fiat 500 came out, we thought we\u2019d be producing a lot. But the reality is that volumes are constantly falling. There are no new models here. \u00bb One of them goes so far as to mention the risk of a gradual closure of the plant: \u00abIt\u2019s a matter of math. In five years, a large part of my generation will be gone.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The previous-generation Fiat 500 gasoline model, produced in Poland from 2007 to 2022. The new all-electric Fiat 500, produced since 2020 in Mirafiori. Figures from Italpassion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The unions are now calling for an urgent meeting with Stellantis to get answers regarding hiring, production volumes, and industrial plans for Mirafiori. Because behind the sales figures and production targets, it is above all the future of several hundred young employees that is currently causing concern among workers at the Fiat 500 plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n