subject: Fiat Plants Closed In Italy Over Fuel Strike [print this page] Working for Fiat dealers in Surrey is great fun, I enjoying helping customers choose the best car that is suits their needs. My favourite customers are the youngsters, they want everything a car could possibly have but want to pay very little money for it, which is not possible at all. Somehow I always manage to sort things out and the customer always goes home happy.
Working at Fiat makes me want to naturally find out what is happening within that car brand, so when I read that Fiats plants in Italy have come to a halt due to ongoing transport strike, I felt really gutted for them. I hope this doesnt somehow affect our dealers here in the UK, as I wouldnt like our customers to be unhappy at all.
This strike started after taxes on petrol passed in the austerity budget of Prime Minister Mario Monti since January, maintaining road blocks, which led to Lorry drivers protesting. In the last three weeks, Fiat has made 20,000 fewer cars due to the protests, and the plants will stay closed if the strikes continued. The closure includes its Pomigliano plant, near Naples, where it is making the new Panda.
Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne met Mr Monti for the first time since the start of the crisis earlier this month but their discussion wasnt disclosed. But Mr Marchionne did say to the journalists that the meeting had been "perfect" but without elaborating.
It was also revealed that Mr Marchionne received 14.5m euros (12m) in compensation - 2.5m euros in cash and the rest in shares. Since taking over as chief executive in 2004, Mr Marchionne has been reorganising the company's car plants in Italy and despite resistance from unions, more flexible work practices have been introduced.
I really hope everything gets sorted very soon, as I dont like the thought of Fiat cars not being made.
