Industry Minister Carlo Calenda
called Embraco management "scum' Monday in saying he would no
longer meet with them because of their refusal to change plans
to scale back their Italian workers.
"Now I won't receive these people...scum any more because
honestly I'm really had it with them and their Italian labour
consultants who are here," said Calenda after the Whirlpool unit
proposed what he called an "unacceptable" proposal to shift
workers to part-time contracts.
"Embraco said No, and has confirmed an attitude of total
irresponsibility," said Calenda.
"Their explanation show a lack of attention to the value of
people and the social responsibility of business".
The Whirlpool unit recently confirmed 497 job losses at its
plant at Riva di Chieri near Turin, which currently has 530
workers, trade unions said - prompting Calenda to called the
firm's stance "irresponsible, unacceptable and contrary to the
commitments assumed at the various meetings at the ministry".
He said he had "urgently reconvened the firm and said "I
expect it to uphold the commitments it agreed".
Embraco, which makes compressors for fridges, said it was
effectively shutting down its Italy production with
the closure of the plant.
There are no plans to keep the plant open, despite industry
ministry proposals, trade unions said.
The firm recently met labour ministry officials to assess the
possibility of using government redundancy funds.
The move comes three months after the company decided to cut
production at Riva di Chieri, shifting it to other factories in
the group.
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