Whirlpool, 87 million euros of investments for Naples

During today's meeting at MiSe, chaired by Minister Giorgetti and Deputy Minister Todde, Invitalia presented a plan for the Whirlpool site in Naples.

The Minister for Economic Development, Giancarlo GiorgettiImmediately following the Confindustria meeting, Whirlpool participated in the meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development. The company, the Ministry of Economic Development stated in a statement, accepted the minister's request to suspend the procedure until mid-October to evaluate Invitalia's proposal for the revitalization of the Naples site, subject to specific commitments from all parties. "The government's effort is to find a serious prospect," he said, "for industrial reconversion. This project is worth exploring further. I thank the company and the unions for their willingness to examine the path presented today."

Giorgetti had in fact asked the company, during the meeting, to facilitate the possibility of examining the dossier in greater depth, which he underlined was "Complex and ambitious. The consortium members are serious people, and everyone has a duty to ensure that the project can stand on its own two feet." The definition of a calendar of technical discussions for the next few days has been agreed.

"The reindustrialization plan for the Whirlpool site in Naples proposed by the Ministry of Economic Development is a good one, but now we need to delve into the projects in detail to understand the timeframes and guarantees for workers." This is the position expressed by Barbara Tibaldi, national secretary of Fiom-Cgil and head of household appliances, at the meeting on Whirlpool at the Ministry of Economic Development.

We thank the Ministry of Economic Development, which is fully represented today; it is a guarantee. The reindustrialization options – Tibaldi says – are complex and deserve further investigation. The concern arises over timing, given that the collective dismissal procedure expires on September 29th.

"Well - continues – Let's have an initial presentation of the proposal. Let us discuss the concrete details; we'll never say yes or no until we know how many workers will be hired, what contracts they will have, and what the project's guarantees will be. Let's delve into the details, and time must be managed seriously, and we're available."

We need all stakeholders to be present and there to be an understanding among serious people to find a concrete solution. We ask – concludes – a schedule of meetings to examine the merits of this project.”

 Gianluca Ficco, national secretary Uilm responsible for the household appliances sector, and Antonello Accurso, Secretary of Uilm Campania, spoke during a meeting with the multinational at the Ministry of Economic Development. "The plan, according to Invitalia, was developed along the development lines outlined in the PNRR," Ficco and Accurso explain, "and focuses on establishing a sustainable mobility hub, building on the existing automotive and rail transport sectors in Campania. Invitalia has specified that it is working to establish a consortium of companies specializing in different industrial sectors, and the first members have been identified, with five initiatives and an estimated investment of €87 million."

 HERE IS THE GOVERNMENT'S WHIRLPOOL PLAN

The plan includes the production and assembly of seats for the automotive, rail, and marine sectors; a pilot plant for the industrialization of fuel cells for mobility; development of projects for the technological evolution of SMEs in the mobility sector; mobility engineering services; and testing of materials specifically for the automotive and rail sectors.

“As a union – Ficco and Accurso conclude We first ask to know the names of the entrepreneurs involved before making any judgments. It is essential that they are genuine entrepreneurs, industrialists, with credibility, capital, and knowledge of the sector. Then, of course, we will need to further explore the methods and timing of the project's launch, as well as the hiring procedures for all the workers.

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Rosario Rappa, general secretary Fiom-Cgil Naples in his speech during the meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development, addressing the Government, he wanted to underline: We have stated that we are open to discussing an industrial plan for worker reemployment without prejudice. The consortium's proposal provides us with the framework within which to proceed. Before raising any reservations, we will make a final assessment once we have a clear understanding of the industrial stakeholders involved, the plan, the timeline, the number of employees, and the regulatory and economic conditions.