Appliance maker Electrolux presented a scaled-down restructuring plan for its Italian operations on Monday, cutting the number of planned job losses and relying on voluntary exits, unions and Italy’s industry minister said after talks in Rome.
The company now plans about 1,250 redundancies in Italy, made up of 650 blue-collar and 600 white-collar workers, down from as many as 1,700 initially envisaged, said Gianluca Ficco of the UILM union.
Electrolux declined to comment.
Unions said in various statements that the company is prepared to manage the reduction through furlough schemes and voluntary exit programs over three years rather than through compulsory layoffs.
The company is also open to seeking a buyer for its kitchen hood plant in Cerreto d’Esi in central Italy, which had initially been earmarked for closure, unions said. Production would continue until a potential sale.
“A new phase is finally beginning. What we’ve accomplished today is a step in the right direction,” Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said after hosting talks with unions and the company.
Ficco said unions welcomed Electrolux’s revised approach but were awaiting a detailed plan, including information on incentives for workers who leave under the voluntary program.
The industry ministry will host another meeting Thursday to discuss details of the revised plan, unions said.
