Fiat Chrysler/CNHi Union Network adopts three-year work plan and calls on the company to recognize the trade union body
On 11 and 12 July, over 70 delegates from 12 countries from all of the business units of FCA/CNHi (Fiat, Chrysler, Case, New Holland, Iveco, Magneti Marelli and others) met to hold their annual trade union network meeting at the ILO Training Center in Torino, Italy.
This year the group focused on elaborating a new three-year plan. The plan re-confirms the relevance of the Global Network as a fundamental tool to protect jobs and workers’ rights everywhere on the globe. This includes the ability to deal with the uncertainty related to the future structure of the group and the on-going process of transformation in the automotive industry and in the manufacturing sector in general.
Core elements of the plan are:
- Establishing a global cooperation with the company
- A focus on the exchange of socio-economic issues such as trade policies, working hours, women participation and others
- Setting up a training concept in order to strengthen transnational capacities of the delegates
- Enhancing the number of women and young trade unionists in the global network meetings
- Setting up a data base
- Enhancement of communication between meetings
- Optimization of the meetings’ agenda by making sure all divisions of the company play a role.
The outstanding lack of recognition of the network and the missing input by the company was the single most mentioned issue at the meeting. The unions therefore decided to send a further communication to the top FCA/CNHi management urging them to enter into meaningful discussions with the trade union group toward future cooperation.
The group also discussed global trade and related agreements. Delegates concluded that trade agreements are setup for business purposes and rarely reflect the interest of workers such as decent income and working conditions and the freedom of association.
The group finally analyzed latest business announcements of the company and exchanged country reports.
