Electrolux freezes 1,700 layoffs and plant closure for 50 days after Rome brands plan 'irreceivable'
The Swedish appliance maker agreed to suspend the layoff of 1,700 workers and the closure of its Cerreto d'Esi plant for 50 days, after the Italian government called the plan unacceptable and demanded an alternative.
The plan and the government reaction
Electrolux had announced a restructuring affecting roughly 1,700 jobs and the shutdown of the Cerreto d'Esi factory in the Marche region, which produces cooker hoods. At a meeting at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Mimit) on 15 June, Minister Adolfo Urso opened the session by calling the proposal "irreceivable and unacceptable, defeatist on the industrial level and unsustainable for its social impact."
The plan presented by the company is irreceivable and unacceptable, defeatist on the industrial level and unsustainable for its social impact.
Urso insisted that Electrolux must not proceed unilaterally and demanded a new, shared proposal that protects jobs and production capacity. The Marche regional president, Francesco Acquaroli, said the region was ready to deploy every available tool to safeguard employment and industrial competitiveness.
The suspension
Following the minister's demands, Electrolux Italy CEO Massimiliano Ranieri stated the company would not take unilateral actions during the discussion and agreed to open a shared path. The result was a 50-day suspension of the collective dismissal procedure and the planned factory closure. This period will be used for intense talks among the company, unions, government, and regional authorities.
The situation isn't definitively resolved, but the plan is suspended and the company won't launch any unilateral action. I think this is a first step forward we can greet with cautious optimism.
- First meeting at Mimit: Electrolux presents its restructuring plan to the Italian government and unions.
- Second Mimit meeting: Minister Urso rejects the plan, Electrolux agrees to 50-day suspension of layoffs and closure.
- Target date to reach a negotiated agreement before the summer break, as stated by Minister Urso.
Union reaction: 'armed truce'
Union leaders welcomed the halt but warned that the battle is far from over. Fiom-Cgil secretary Michele De Palma described it as an "armed truce" and stressed that workers must remain mobilised. He noted that at the outset the company was ready to open mobility procedures at Cerreto d'Esi, but the combined pressure of unions, government, and institutions forced a change of agenda.
We stopped them, you stopped them, but it's an armed truce between us and Electrolux.
Fim Cisl secretary general Ferdinando Uliano said the political commitment made at the table was significant, but it would be judged on delivery. Uilm's new secretary general Davide Sperti spoke of a "first step forward." A Cisl representative warned against a "theatre" where promises are made and then workers are left alone.
What comes next
The 50-day window aims for a negotiated settlement before the August summer break, with a target date around 6-7 August. The minister has called for a tight programme of follow-up meetings, and all regional governments with Electrolux plants have promised financial support for an alternative plan. However, the company pointed to a stagnant European market, low-end product preferences, and growing competition from Asian manufacturers as structural challenges that must be addressed to restore competitiveness.
Two principles cannot be questioned: safeguarding employment and protecting the productive and industrial capacity this site represents.
