Stellantis will keep its historic Mirafiori plant in northern Italy closed for Fiat 500 production next week, prolonging a stoppage that unions say now stretches into a fifth consecutive week. Union groups FIOM-CGIL, FIM-CISL and UILM stated that staff assigned to the Fiat 500 assembly lines are to remain on furlough for the period November 16-20.
The unions added that not all activity at the Turin complex is suspended. Certain operations, including Special Vehicle, RG Premium and Maserati-related work, will continue while Fiat 500 production lines are idle.
Union sources attribute the persistent pauses in output to two primary factors: shortages of components and subdued consumer demand for the model. Igor Albera of the FIM-CISL union said the continuing production interruptions at the Mirafiori plant were caused in part by missing parts and in part by weak market appetite for the Fiat 500.
Albera also described as credible a recent report forecasting that Mirafiori might reopen for only two weeks before the end of the year and that production could be just above 50,000 cars in 2026. He added that a two-week production run before year-end would be sufficient to fill the current order book for the Fiat 500, encompassing both hybrid and electric variants.
In response to questions about the stoppages, a spokesperson for Stellantis said temporary closures at several Italian plants are linked to a supplier shortage of a component used in the N3 GSE engine control unit. The company indicated that such stoppages could persist through November and December, and that production timetables are being evaluated on a week-by-week basis as the group works to bring operations back to normal.
Unions said the latest pause in Turin underlines "a situation of strong production and employment uncertainty," and warned that employees are facing increasing difficulty coping with recurring periods of temporary lay-offs.
Context and implications
The continued suspension at Mirafiori affects multiple parts of the plant's workforce and carries implications for supplier relationships tied to the N3 GSE engine control unit component. While some segments of the site remain active, the Fiat 500 lines are set to remain idle during the specified week, reinforcing concerns about both near-term output and staff stability.
What remains unclear
- Exactly which suppliers are responsible for the missing N3 GSE component is not specified in the statements quoted by unions and the company.
- The duration and scope of any further furloughs beyond November 20 are being assessed on a rolling basis, and could change as production schedules are updated.