The four-month closure of the Leonardo factory in Grottaglie, in the province of Taranto, Italy, has been averted. However, the crisis in the Apulian factory remains unresolved after the Fim, Fiom and Uilm unions failed to reach an agreement with the Italian company, which employs a thousand people in Puglia. Company and workers' representatives continue to negotiate: appointment in the next few days at the Unindustria headquarters in Rome.

"Following our requests and the initiatives implemented, there will be a reduction in production guaranteeing a single work shift. However, significant distances remain in relation to the diversification path. We believe it is necessary to substantiate this in the numbers relating to investments and entry times of workers to compensate for the lack of work", explain Fim, Fiom and Uilm.

At the moment the Leonardo Group assures that it will not temporarily interrupt production, but has not clarified how to implement the new programs for the AW-101 helicopter and the AW-609 convertiplane (aircraft-helicopter) in Grottaglie. These are initiatives that have a dual objective: to compensate for the lower demand for fuselages for the Boeing B-787 plane; open new job opportunities in Puglia and emancipate it from the patronage of the American manufacturer.

On the same topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.